


Zombie Briam AU

by leonheart2012



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-16
Updated: 2016-04-14
Packaged: 2018-05-27 02:20:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 50,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6265762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leonheart2012/pseuds/leonheart2012
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the zombie apocalypse, and Brett is cruising along pretty well until Liam, Scott and Stiles come crashing into his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [red_to_black](https://archiveofourown.org/users/red_to_black/gifts).



> The Zombie Briam AU needs some love, so I thought I’d give it a crack. This is my first story I’ve actually got a plan for, so this should be interesting. That, and I’ve never written zombies before. Long live Briam! Hope you all enjoy. This story was inspired by After The Fall by red_to_black, so I gift this to them. I will try to update this as fast as I can, because I’ve got a lot to get through, but I’ll still be updating my other stories. I’ll aim for once a week, but I make no promises.

Brett was out, scavenging. His leg still twinges a bit from where he’d twisted it just last week, trying to get away from some zombies. He’d misjudged a jump, and had landed funnily. He winced as he forced the door to an apartment block open. He froze as the door’s rusty hinges groaned.

Only the dust stirred. He crept further into the room, his heart pounding in his chest. He really cursed Theo for sending him out alone, again. He knew Lydia was far too afraid to leave ‘the nest’, as they’d called their hideout, and there was no way Theo was going anywhere without his girlfriend, Malia. Even so, he could leave her behind and come out with him. It would make him feel a lot safer.

He sighed softly, looking through the cupboards. Empty. Again. He wished they had ranged weapons. Then, they could go hunting. But, as they’d found out the hard way, guns attracted so much more trouble than just hunger. They’d since ditched all of their guns in favor of short-ranged, silent weapons. They made sure to keep them sharp, but unless they learned to throw knives anytime soon, they weren’t going to catch anything bigger than rabbits and tin cans.

Brett tried the next apartment. Score; instant noodles that were still in date. He tucked them into his pack. He was just turning around when he saw a shadow pass by. He stopped in his tracks and slowly drew his pack back over his shoulder. He peeked around the corner and inhaled as he saw the cutest thing since the apocalypse started. There was a blonde, unbelievably small, stopped at the end of the hall. He seemed to be waiting for something. Brett whipped his head around. There was no one else, as far as he could tell. He decided to wait this one out.

As he waited, the blonde lingered still at the end of the hallway. He seemed to be looking out the window, but he’d been standing there for a long time. He could tell that it had been, because his leg was starting to give him trouble. He exhaled slowly and eased the weight off of his injured leg. The floorboards creaked a little, and Brett froze. The blonde seemed to not notice. Unable to wait any longer, Brett shuffled forwards.

The blonde suddenly took a step. Brett halted again, but the boy didn’t move again for another five minutes. Brett took another tentative step forward, and the blonde followed him. Brett swallowed as the muscles of his back rippled. Damn, that was hot. Brett crept forward another pace, and as he did, he saw the blonde’s reflection, which threw him a small smile. He cursed himself. Of course this kid could see him. Why wouldn’t he be able to? He wanted Brett to follow him.

Even as this realization hit him, he felt his heart give a squeeze. That smile made his heart melt. He couldn’t properly see the blonde’s face, but he just knew that it would be beautiful. He was so fucked. He was drawn from his thoughts as the blonde darted to the right.

“Wait!” He called, and cursed himself again. That would call everyone in the area, alive or otherwise, tumbling down on his head. He heard laughter bubbling from down the hall. He lunged after the sound, but it was just an echo. He followed the sound down the stairs and into the lobby of the apartment complex. He looked around, but he couldn’t see the blonde anywhere. He heard a small noise behind him and he went to turn, but he was knocked out before he could see who was there.

  


Brett could feel consciousness returning. “I don’t know, Stiles. He doesn’t have much.” The voice was soft, gentle, like it was trying to calm a spooked animal. _He would have made a great vet, or a doctor._ Brett thinks dazedly.

“But he has something. Come on, Scott, we have to survive.” This voice is harsher, speaks more quickly.

“We have bows. It’s hunting season. There’s plenty for us to eat.” Another voice. It’s also reasoning, but there’s not much effort behind it. It sounds like he’s given up already. _But hunting season is Spring...we're almost in Winter...did he just lie?_

“And when winter comes, we’ll have more. Liam, you’re too nice. This is survival.” Back to ‘Stiles’. _What kind of name is that anyway?_

“And what if he has someone else to feed?” Liam again. Brett thinks his voice sounds rather nice. He likes it much better than Stiles’.

“Liam, let’s be honest here, you like the look of him, and you want him to survive so he’ll be grateful and fuck you later.” Brett thinks that he would be absolutely delighted to fuck Liam later. Then, he reprimands himself. That’s not a nice thing to think.

“Stiles.” Brett hears Scott’s voice say. “That’s not nice. Besides, Liam isn’t gay.” Brett, despite himself, feels rather disappointed by this news.

“Mason was.” Stiles snaps.

“Just because my best friend is gay doesn’t mean I am too. I mean, he’s black, and I’m not. Or am I black by association?” Brett barely resists the urge to laugh.

“Was.” Stiles says. Brett decides he doesn’t really like this kid.

“Yeah, no need to rub it in. Just because your best friend is still alive and mine isn’t….” Brett hears the pain in his voice, but Stiles keeps going.

“Uh, guys…we’re gonna have to make a decision soon.” Brett sees a dark shape gesture in his direction, and guesses that it’s Scott. “He’s waking up.” Brett gives up the pretense of being unconscious and blinks his eyes. He’s still in the lobby of the hotel, his arms tied expertly behind his back. “Are you okay?”

“What does it matter, if you’re just going to starve me anyway?” Brett asks bitterly. Scott, or the person Brett thinks is Scott, turns to the other two.

“We should give him something. I mean, I think you hit him pretty hard, Stiles.”

Stiles waves him off. “Oh, don’t worry. He’ll be fine.” He crouches down so he’s eye level with Brett. Brett glares at him, or at least, he thinks he does. He might just be narrowing his eyes. He’s not entirely sure. “So, pretty boy, you wanna tell us where your hideout is?”

Brett shakes his head. “Nope.” This response receives a knife in the foot. He yelps.

“You wanna try that again?” Liam winces as the knife is pulled out. _He's not the one in pain._ Brett thinks bitterly, before remembering that Liam is trying to get him out of this situation alive.

“Nope.”

“Oh, Jesus. You’re a stubborn one, aren’t you?” He goes to stab Brett’s foot again, but he’s hauled away by Scott and Liam.

Brett takes the moments of heated whispering to see if he can escape his bindings. He can’t. After about a minute of struggling, he just looks at the three who are holding him captive.

Liam’s the smallest. He looks younger than the other two. He barely has stubble on his face. His hair is a blonde wave, sticking up in all different directions. He has wide, bright blue eyes and milky white skin, though it’s hard to see under the layers of dirt. He also has a starkly red mouth, which stands out against his pale skin. He licks them frequently - a result of the colder weather blowing down from the North. It’ll be winter soon. It’s early November, and the days are getting shorter and shorter.

Brett shifts his attention to Stiles, the tallest of the bunch. He has a shaggy mop of brown hair and a few scraggly strands of a beard. It makes him look completely ridiculous. He has moles everywhere, and it would be cute, if he wasn’t such a fucking asshole.

Brett then turns his attention to the last member of the group. He looked soft and warm. He had dark olive skin and fuzzy black hair. His brown eyes were kind, and had an innocence about them, even though the guy must be in his early twenties. It was obvious from the way that Stiles looked at Scott that he respected him deeply. In fact, both of them did. Brett assumed that he was a born leader. This theory was confirmed when Scott stepped forward to talk to him.

“Okay. We’ve come to a decision. Even if we don’t want to, we need to take food and water from you. So, we’ll take only some of what you’ve got.” There was a scowl plastered over Stiles’ face. Brett kept glancing at him, and Scott turned to him, frowning. Stiles huffed and turned away.

“So, um…yeah…right, uh, we’ll take only some of what you’ve got. We’ve got enough weapons, so we’ll leave you with yours. Now, I don’t want to leave you here for the zombies to munch on, so Liam’s gonna loosen the ropes a little, okay? Then, we’re gonna leave. I want you to wait five minutes before you even try to get out, okay? Can you do that?”

“What about my foot? How am I supposed to do anything with my foot in the condition it’s in?” Brett wasn’t stupid. He knew that his foot was going to get him killed.

“Well, um…I’d kind of forgotten about that.”

“I haven’t. It hurts.” He heard a chuckle from both Liam and Stiles. “So you think it’s funny when someone’s in pain, huh?”

“No, just…the way you said it.” Liam’s face loomed over him, blushing and smiling. Brett rolled his eyes, even as he thought, _damn, he’s cute_.

“Okay, well, I guess we’ll just…patch it up as best we can.” He turns back to Stiles. “Did you really have to be so rough? It wasn’t like he was going anywhere.”

“That’s what torturing _is_ , Scott. It’s meant to be painful.” He loomed over Brett. “So, how you feeling, pretty boy?”

“Pretty resentful…of you.” That earned him a slap to the face. He was jostled from behind.

“Would you two knock it off, please? You-“ Brett was kneed in the back. “Are not making your situation any easier by riling him up, and you-“ Brett guessed Liam had pointed at Stiles, even though he couldn’t see. “Are looking for a response. Don’t get mad if you get one.”

“You’re one to talk about getting riled up, Liam. You’re the one with anger issues.”

“Hey!” Scott calls softly. “Knock it off. We’ve got an injured human being, and he needs our help.”

“Don’t forget that we’re the ones responsible for getting him injured.” Liam retorted.

“Nah, I’d say that’s on you.” He nodded at Stiles, who bristled, but didn’t say anything. “And seriously, who talks to his friends like that? You’re gonna remind him constantly about his friend? And make jokes about him? You’re the worst.”

“He’s not so bad, when you get to know him.” Scott says, trying to redeem his best friend. It doesn’t do much for Brett’s opinion. Liam, for his part, stays quiet. He moves around to look at Brett. He can see the calculating element there, and he smiles a little bit, hoping that’ll be enough to get him to see what kind of a person he is.

Liam stands up. “We should be getting going soon. It’ll be getting dark in a few hours.” Scott finishes wrapping his foot in bandages and stands too. He’s taken the shoe off, and it’ll be a bitch to get back on, Brett knows, but he’ll manage.

“Thanks for bandaging my foot. Good luck out there.” Scott nods and gives him a pat on the shoulder, accompanied by a small smile. Liam gives him a smile too, but Stiles just rolls his eyes as he turns to leave.

  


“Brett?” Malia’s voice is soft, and Brett wonders if he really did hear it.

“I’m here.” He calls back softly. He doesn’t know why her voice is so soft, but he’ll follow suit.

“Theo, this way. He seems to be alone.” Theo and Malia pop out from behind a pillar.

Theo smirks. “How did you manage to get caught?”

Brett glares at him. “Ambush. They must have seen me enter from the street and waited for me in the lobby. There were three of them.”

“Mmhm. And were any of them hot?” Brett blushes, and Theo chuckles. “That’s what I thought. They probably caught you staring at the hot guy’s face, and thought that it was a brilliant opportunity to take all of your stuff, right?” Brett clenches his jaw. _Pick your battles, baby._ He hears his mother say. _You can’t always win, and some people just won’t listen, but you should choose to fight the ones you believe in. Then, you’ll always win._

“I’m just glad you found me.”

Theo hums, as if it wouldn't have mattered if they'd found him or not, and Brett feels a flash of hatred for this prick. He should have left them ages ago, but he couldn’t leave Lydia. “What happened to your foot?”

“One of them decided that it was best if they made absolutely sure I wouldn’t find them.”

“I bet you cried like a baby for your mommy.” Theo seemed to realize instantly that he’d overstepped with that one. Even Malia was looking at him in shock. “Sorry.” He mumbled. He didn’t look sorry, but Brett pushed that to the back of his mind.

“Just get me out.” Theo was quiet as he quickly untied the ropes around Brett’s wrists. He pocketed the length of rope, because he knew it would come in handy. He helped Brett up to his feet and led the way out of the building.

  


The trip back was silent, because no one wanted to start a conversation. They were all focusing on their parents. Malia was probably starting at give herself grief over the fact that her mother had tried to kill her at the tender age of ten because she’d broken a pot. Theo was probably thinking about how his dad had forced him out of the house once he found out he’d started taking hardcore drugs. And Brett was thinking about his mother. He loved to think about her sweet, soft face, and her lilting voice as it sang him lullabies. He started to quietly sing one as they walked back.

 _Wolves asleep amid the trees,_  
_Bats all a-swaying in the breeze…._

  


When they get back, Lydia smiles wide and bright and hugs Brett tightly. “I got worried when you weren’t back before dark. I made dinner already.”

“Thanks Lydia.” Brett smiles. Lydia frowns when she notices that they’re all quiet. She doesn’t ask anymore. She did once, and they evaded her until she demanded answers. They’d reluctantly told her, and she’d broken down crying for the next three days. It had been the first time they’d killed anything, or anyone, and it had hit Lydia pretty hard. She was a strong person, but the one thing she feared more than anything was death.

They ate in silence. Brett went to bed early, kissing Lydia’s temple as he went. “Sleep well.” He whispered to her. “Night.” He said to Theo and Malia, who were already curled up together on their mattress.

As Brett tried to sleep, he thought about the events of that day. He kept thinking about Liam, that cute teenager with the strong muscles and rose lips. He closed his eyes and dreamed.

  


_”Brett? Brett?”_  
_”I’m here.” He called._  
_Liam turned the corner and tilted his head to the side. He smiled with those lips the color of roses, and Brett felt his heart flutter. Liam turned to walk away, and Brett called him back. Liam’s laughter rang around him like bells._  
_Brett closed his eyes, squeezing them tightly shut. He felt a warm hand press against his stomach. He opened his eyes again and saw Liam smiling softly down at him. “Hey, baby.” He said with his mother’s voice._  
_The hand travelled further, and Brett felt warm, soft fingers pulling at his cock. He shuddered, and found himself restrained. He felt something press against his hip, and he realized that it was Liam’s erection, throbbing for attention. Brett ached to give it that attention, but he was unable to move. He let out a low whimper as Liam’s hands travelled down his sides. He felt Liam’s lips mouth at his own, and he tried to press up into the touch, but he was completely paralyzed._

  


Brett jerked awake. _Fuck. What was that?_ Brett was mortified to find himself hard. He untangled himself from Lydia’s arms and went to the bathroom. After he’d taken care of it, he slipped back under the covers.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if I get any information wrong based on the shapes and weather of Manhattan, as I have never lived there, or in any part of the United States. As I am terrible with maps, but am armed with Google, I will try to get my geography in order, but if I do it wrong, I'm sorry. However, if you have anything to add, please feel free to correct me, as I am happy to learn where I went wrong. Thanks for your comments and kudos. They mean the world to me!

Liam was sitting in bed, biting his fingernails. He can't stop thinking about that boy they robbed yesterday. He wished they'd gotten his name. After all, he knew theirs. That wasn't really remarkable, seeing as how Scott and Stiles _loved_ to use names. Liam had tried to teach them that it gave whoever they'd captured an advantage, but the lesson had never really sunk in for them.

He let his thoughts wander. He remembered the boy's face as he realised that Liam could see him. When he'd darted off, and he'd called for him, Liam had felt like a little kid again. He hadn't meant to laugh, but Scott's smile at the sound had been worth it. Scott was certain that Liam was straight, but Liam had the biggest crush on Scott. Sure, he'd had girlfriends, but they'd never compared to Scott.

Of course, thinking about Scott brought about thoughts of Stiles.They were practically inseparable. Scott really deserved better. Stiles was harsh and grating, and Liam knew he wasn't much better, what with his IED and all, but at least he was trying. He remembered what Mason had told him, that even if he snapped, Mason would always be there, no matter what. But he wasn't here now. Tears pricked his eyes, Liam remembering what Stiles had said.

_'Was.'_

Just that single word had Liam wanting to curl up and bawl like a baby. Because, even if it was two months ago already, and even though he never loved him like he loves Scott, he still loved him, as a friend, and it hurt to know that he was gone.

Liam sucked in a shaky breath. He should go. They'll look for him, but he'll go. He'll find that boy. Surely he'd recognise him, and know that he was trying to help. He'd miss Scott but, in the end, he really was never enough for him. And if he had to watch Scott die, or get hurt, he'd never recover.

So, after he'd packed his things, he headed out. He didn't leave a note because he had neither paper nor pen. He decided that the best place to start was where they'd left that boy late yesterday.

  


The early morning sun warmed his back, and Liam thanked whatever higher power that existed that he'd ended up in Manhattan. Being in New York, on the East coast, the weather was warmer right up until winter really hit in late December. It was only lightly drizzling today, but it still made traversing the streets mildly difficult.

Liam was looking forward to the snow. He'd always loved snow. He remembered when his mother had taken him out to a frozen over lake when he was eight. He'd just bought new ice skates, and he was testing them out. He'd kept falling over again and again, even when he was holding his mom's hand. He once stumbled and just kept sliding across the ice until he'd landed face-first in a pile of snow. His mother had laughed so much, and he'd been grumpy that his nose was cold. Liam smiled at the memory as it faded.

Liam stopped and looked up at the great facade of the building. It reminded him of the great big dinosaur fossils in a museum; a relic from ancient times past. He held his breath as he stepped in, not really expecting to see the boy still there. Indeed he wasn't, but there was a faint trail of blood.

Unsure what else to do, Liam followed it. As he did, he saw more and more zombies. Nervous, he unslung his bow and knocked an arrow. He kept following the trail for another few metres before stopping dead.

He's following a trail. Of blood. To someone who's bleeding. Who smells of blood. Which attracts zombies.

"Fuck." Liam swears under his breath. He should have thought this through. Why does he never think these things through? "Alright, uh, just think Liam, think. What can you do?" His brain offers up the helpful advice to staunch the bleeding by wrapping it tightly with ice.

Just then, Liam hear's a male's voice. It's not the one he's looking for, but he zeroes in on it. Unfortunately, so too do the zombies.

 _This is really not my day._ Liam thinks bitterly. He puts his bow away - it'll only hinder him and close-quarters combat - and draws his machette.

There's a large group of zombies in front of him, but they're all facing the other way. Liam slices left, right, left, right, in downwards strokes until his arm gets sore. Then, he realises that the noise of his exertions are drawing attention. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

Suddenly, Liam was hauled to the side by powerful arms. "Thanks for coming to help, pipsqueak, but you're gonna get killed out there."

Liam stares dumbly at the boy from yesterday. "I...your foot."

The boy frowns. "Yeah. What about it?"

"It drew them here. Your blood."

The boy keeps frowning before something clicks. "Fuck. I forgot that they're drawn to the smell of blood. Withdraw." He directed the last part at two people who look like they're in their mid-twenties, just like the other guy. One is female and feisty-looking. She holds herself with grace, as if she knows exactly what her body's capable of. She has short-ish hair that's a muddy brown colour. The other is a male, a bit shorter than her, but still taller than Liam. He has hard, wiry muscles and a strong jaw. His eyes are harsh, and the line of his lips is hard. His hair is almost immaculate and a deep shade of brown, so brown it almost looks black.

They all draw back inside and the darker brunette scowls and turns to face the other from yesterday. "What the hell, Brett? You're bringing a kid in here?"

Liam fumes. "Hey! I'm not a kid! I'm seventeen."

The other male raises his eyebrows. "Yeah, you're a kid."

"Well, how old are you then?"

"Twenty-three." The dark haired boy says, puffing out his chest, which Brett smacks with the back of his hand. The other male bristles.

"Lay off, Theo. You just barely turned twenty-three last month, and you've done nothing noteworthy." He turns to Liam. "So, it's nice to see you again, Liam, but why are you here?"

Liam feels a blush rising on his cheeks and splutters over his words. "I...um...uh...wanted to, um...see how your foot was..." _God, get a grip, Liam._

"Aw, Liam has a crush on Brett. Isn't that great, Malia? Now, all we have to do is find Lydia a boyfriend, and we'll be sweet as pie." Liam flicks his eyes over. He would have been upset, but something about Theo seems off.

"I can tell you're lying, Liam. Try again." Brett says softly. _His voice is amazing. I could listen to it all day._

Liam shrugs. "You were right. Stiles is a terrible friend. And sure, I'll miss Scott, but I just can't be around Stiles. I thought, maybe, you'd take me in."

Just as he finished his sentence, Theo slid his blade to rest just above Liam's throat, biting slightly into the flesh. "No, wait! Don't!" Brett said.

"Come on, Brett. There are plenty of other attractive guys out there, just as fuckable as this one, and you know it. This is obviously a trap. Come on! He stole from you yesterday. What's stopping him from doing it today?"

 _I'm fuckable?_ Liam thinks, as he says, "I wasn't _trying_ to get him robbed. Scott and I just wanted to let him go, but Stiles-" His voice was cut off as Theo pressed the knife deeper into his skin.

"Listen to him, Theo! He's telling the truth."

"What's all this racket about?" A red-haired girl descends from upstairs.

"Lydia?" Brett turned around, and Theo took that opportunity to knock Liam unconscious.

  


Liam blinked his eyes open, his head throbbing. He could hear raised voices that made his head sing with pain.

"You hit him so hard he's bleeding! You probably gave him a concussion! We're lucky he's not dead!"

"So what? He was probably going to break your little faggot heart anyway. I wouldn't dig him a grave. I bet no one would." Theo replied.

"You wouldn't dig anyone a grave." Brett spat.

"Guys, stop." Lydia's voice drifted across the darkness, soft and soothing. Liam, with blurry vision, saw Brett turn his head to her. Liam blinked his eyes rapidly to try and clear his sight.

"I so would. Besides, it's not like I've ever had to. Your so sappy, you've probably dug a grave for every cow you've eaten."

"Really, Theo? Are you really running so low on insults?"

Liam could feel the room's temperature drop a few degrees. "Why don't you go check on your boyfriend."

"Oh, Jesus. Why are you such a fucking asshole,Theo?"

"If you hate me so much, why don't you just leave?"

"I'm not leaving Lydia. Not with you." Brett said stonily.

"And what are you gonna do, huh? Be her white knight?" Theo's next words were so low, Liam had to strain his ears to hear them. "You know, you two seem pretty close. I bet you're not even gay, and you've been banging her all along."

"Don't talk about her like that." Brett hissed, voice like shards of ice. Liam's eyes flicked to the kitchen, where Lydia was watching the exchange with wide eyes. Liam suddenly realised that they were speaking lowly now so that Lydia wouldn't hear. He didn't know whether that was because they were afraid of her, or because they didn't want to hurt her feelings.

Malia tried to step between them. "Guys, come on. Knock it off."

"Shut up." The snapped, and slapped her. The room went very quiet and very still. "Oh my God. Malia, I'm so-" Theo reached out to touch her, but Brett captured his wrist.

"Don't you fucking dare."

Lydia rushed to Malia's side. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just shocked, that's all." Malia sniffed, holding her hand to her cheek. Lydia led her to a couch in the middle of the room.

Theo glared at Brett until he threw Theo's hand away in disgust. Malia was holding strong, but Lydia was fawning over her. She tucked her hair behind her ear and held her hand gently. Malia tried to shoo her away, but Lydia was having none of it.

Brett walked over to them and had a quiet conversation with Lydia. Liam was close enough to her a bit of it. "She's okay, Lydia, but how about you leave her alone for a little bit, okay?"

"She's hurt."

"She's fine...get stuck into some...maybe you can make something...yesterday, okay?"

Lydia nodded and Brett helped her to her feet. They hugged, briefly, before Lydia slipped around him and set off to make herself useful. Brett then turned his attention to Liam.

"Hey. How you feeling?" Liam was grateful for his voice being soft and low. He had a terrible headache.

"Well, I'm not dead." Liam croaked. "But I have a horrible headache, and I'm thirsty."

"Hungry too?" Liam nodded. "Okay."

Brett stood up again and got some water in a cup. He helped Liam sit up and tipped the cup so that he could drink. Liam didn't really notice, but Brett's hand slipped around to hold the back of his neck. Liam finished the water and smiled. "Thanks."

Brett smiled back at him, a toothy affair that split his face open wide that made Liam's heart stop. "Just being hospitable, right?" _God, no one deserves to be that good looking. He must have some seriously good karma._

Liam didn't really believe all that, but his step-dad had been way into it. He wasn't a hippie, but some of the things he said made Liam think he might have been.Liam missed his step-dad. They'd always gotten along so well. He hoped he was doing okay. They'd been separated by a hoard of zombies just a few months ago, and Liam hoped that he'd made it out okay.

Liam was startled out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder. "What?"

Brett smiled and held up a cracker smeared with what looked like candle wax. "Some food." Brett waited for Liam to start to respond before quickly shoving it into his mouth. Liam was pleasantly surprised by the taste. The waxy stuff was actually honey, and it was very sweet. After he'd finished, Brett sat down next to him. "So, what were you thinking about? You seemed pretty far gone."

"My step-dad. We got separated a couple of months ago. I just hope he's okay. I'm also pretty glad that I ended up with Mason, Scott and Stiles, rather than some of the other people in our group. One older woman kept making eyes at me, trying to get me alone. She was creepy as fuck."

"Mm." Brett was busy sucking on a biscuit.

"So, where are your parents?" He knew it was a touchy subject for everyone, so he said it with great care.

"Died before everything went to shit." He was silent for a while before chuckling. "Probably died thinking I was straight." He thought about this for a while before continuing. "Then again, maybe not." He shrugged. "I _did_ run around in mom's high heels and sing 'Dancing Queen' at the top of my lungs at any given chance."

"I call bullshit." Liam said, eyebrows raised.

Brett punched his arm lightly. "No bullshit."

"That has to be the most stereotypically gay thing I've ever heard."

"What can I say? I just...love being a sheep. Baa."

Liam chuckled, and was startled when Brett let out a cry of triumph. "And my mission is accomplished! He laughs! Please, please, save the applause for later, ladies and gentlemen, for my next act is even more death defying! I will attempt to get him to respond well to physical contact!" Liam was amazed at the bravado with which Brett announced his victory and further intentions. Then, Brett was leaning over, trying to pull him into a hug, while Liam was trying to lean as far away as possible. Finally, he landed with a thump on his side, breathing a sigh of relief.

Theo's head snapped up and he stormed over to them. "Stop flirting with your boyfriend. Because of him-" Theo pointed at Liam, "we have to go out and get more supplies."

Brett sighed and stood up. "Sorry, pipsqueak. Have to go out and get the meat." He stretched, deliberately showing his muscles.

Liam smiled and laughed. "See you later, nutcase."

"Nutcase?" Brett stopped showing off and contemplated the name. "I like it." He said finally. "Hey, do you mind if I borrow your bow?"

"Do I have a choice?"

Brett thought about that for a minute. "No, but I thought you'd appreciate being asked first." He slung the bow over his shoulder, and slid a few arrows into his pack. They left without another word.  


A few hours later, Brett and Theo came back. Theo looked exhausted and seriously pissed, but Brett was positively sunny. "Honey, I'm home!" He called in a sing-song voice.

"My god, are you always this dorky?"

"Nope. Only for Lydia." Lydia came and wrapped her arms around Brett's waist, kissing his cheek.

"Be careful, or I might start to get jealous." _God, what am I thinking? Why am I flirting with this guy? I like Scott. Don't I?_ The seed of doubt had always been there, but now it started to really flourish. _Maybe he's just my friend, nothing more._ Liam sighed. He really hated feelings.

"Aw, don't get jealous. I'm sure we'll find our special thing soon enough, love."

"Polygamy is illegal, you know." Theo called from the doorway to the bathroom, scowling.

"In the apocalypse, nothing is illegal. Besides, the heart will do what the heart will do, Theo."

"Yeah, well, your heart's a bucket of mush, so that means you should be dead already."

"Cheer up, Theo. We're healthy and safe. We have enough to eat and drink. Be happy. Live for the moment." Brett was waving his arms dramatically. Theo rolled his eyes and pushed past him, shouldering Brett out of the way. "That hurts, Theo." He called weakly after him. He sighed and sat down next to Liam.

"Seems like a fun guy."

"Oh, yeah, he is. Especially when he randomly slaps his girlfriend and bitches about it for the rest of the afternoon."

Liam glanced in her direction. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she'll be fine. But, we should all get some food in us and get to bed." Brett yawned and Liam found himself doing the same. He looked pointedly at Liam's wrists bound behind his back. "So, I guess we should untie you so you can eat properly. Come on, up."

Brett helped Liam to his feet and untied all the knots. He led Liam over to a chair sat in front of a table. "Sit." Liam obeyed. "Arms up." Liam stretched his arms above his head, loving the freedom of the movement. Brett looped the rope loosely around his middle and tied it off. Liam felt heat rising in his cheeks at their closeness. "Alright. So, Lydia, what's for dinner?"

  


Conversation at dinner was pleasant, especially without Theo there. Liam noted that no one mentioned the zombies. He guessed that it was for Lydia's sake. It was a shame she was caught up in all of this. She seemed like a nice girl. Malia was rather quiet, but that was more than made up for by Lydia and Brett's chatter.

After dinner, Liam helped clear and wash the plates. Then, Brett loosely bound Liam's wrists together in front of him. "I don't actually think you'll run, but Theo and Malia aren't very trusting. So, sorry, but your hands will have to be bound tonight."

"That's alright. I don't mind. But, um...do I have to sleep on the floor?"

"You do, unless you want to sleep with either Lydia and I, Malia or Theo. So, what's it gonna be?"

"I'll just take the floor thanks."

Brett shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Liam wriggled around a bit on the floor, trying, and ultimately failing, to get comfortable. He sighed and closed his eyes. _I hope Scott and Stiles are alright. I hope they don't find me. It's best if they just move on._

For some reason, leaving them and coming to Brett felt like running away from home. It was a rush he'd not felt in a long time. _I'm free._

It was a bit of a silly thought, considering he was bound on the floor of an apartment in downtown Manhattan, but at least he'd chosen to be bound here. And, despite his current situation, he was glad he'd chosen Brett over Stiles and Scott.

Brett. Now _there_ was something to think about.

Liam let his mind wander to Brett's sparkling white teeth, his perfect brown hair, his bright eyes and his smooth, flawless skin. The thought of his silky, soothing voice, of it whispering things to him. He was comforted by the thought that he didn't have to worry about Brett's sexuality, like he'd had to with others. Brett was gay. _Like me._ Liam thought. _He's gay, like me, and he might just be the last gay guy I meet before I die._

Liam suddenly regretted his decision to sleep alone.


	3. Chapter 3

Scott woke with the sun. He stretched and walked to the bathroom. He was still groggy from sleep, so he didn't notice the empty bed in the corner. as he came back, though, his attention snapped to it.

"Stiles!" He shook his friend awake. "Liam's gone."

Stiles moaned and rolled over. Scott got down and yelled in his ear. "Stiles!"

"Huh? What?" Stiles sat upright, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Liam's gone." Scott repeated, anxious.

Stiles groaned and left the heat of his blankets. He looked around for a while before sighing and sitting down in front of Scott. "He ran away." He said simply.

"What? Why? How do you know?" Scott frowned.

"Well, Scotty, his pack's gone, his clothes are gone, his photographs are gone and the door's locked."

"He could have been kidnapped."

"Don't you think he would have tried to wake us up? Besides, why would someone have taken him, but not us? And if they did take him, why would they leave our supplies? Why would they take only his belongings? How would they know which possessions were his?"

Scott sighed. He knew Stiles was talking sense, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Liam was in danger. "I want to make sure." He looked at Stiles with pleading eyes.

"Oh, for God's sake, Scott!" He threw his hands up and started to pace the room. Scott kept pleading his case, and Stiles eventually caved. "Okay, fine, but I bet he went to find that guy from yesterday."

"Then we should start by looking where we left him."

  


After packing quickly, Stiles and Scott headed out just hours after Liam. They felt the heat of the early morning sun, just as Liam had, and basked in it. "Reminds me of Beacon Hills, you know? How we'd play lacrosse together."

"Yeah." Scott said, looking for any signs of Liam. He didn't really find any until they found the trail of blood. "Hey, look. Liam probably followed this."

"Well, at least my willingness to maim came in handy, right Scott?" Scott shot him a glare, but he had to concede that point. Stiles smiled and ruffled his hair a bit. "Come on, Scotty. You should lighten up a bit. You look like sourwolf."

"Maybe that's the look I was going for." Scott grumbled. He went to follow the trail, but Stiles stopped him.

"Think for a minute, Scott. This is a trail of blood. Blood attracts zombies _and_ people. You know that. If we follow this too closely, we'll probably end up meeting one or both, and we both know how messy that can get. You're not thinking straight today, okay, so let me handle this. Don't want you running off and getting killed now, do we?" Scott was ready to argue, but he decided to let it go. At least he was helping. After a minute, he nodded. "Okay. Let's go off to the left side of the road." Scott followed Stiles' lead.

  


After another hour of painfully slow progress, they'd followed the trail all the way down West 31st street, and up 5th Avenue. It was on the junction of 5th Avenue and East 32nd Street that they first saw the zombies. It was there that they also saw the boy from yesterday along with another, shorter male. They were smashing the skulls of the zombies cleanly, with sharp weapons. The shorter had an axe, which he was swinging savagely with a scowl on his face. He was practically drowning in corpses, and if Scott had been superstitious, he would have seen it as an omen. The taller had a machete, which flashed with amazing speed and precision. He looked like an angel of death, because the sun was behind him, at just the right angle, giving him a halo. His face was remarkably serene, as if he was totally used to this, which Scott supposed he would be. If Scott still had his phone, he would have taken a picture of it, to look at later, to assure himself that it _had_ actually happened.

Another forty minutes passed before all of the zombies in the street were dead - well, more dead than they had been before. The pair had taken care of them with deadly efficiency. Scott didn't want to imagine the fate he would be met with if he got caught under either of those blades. _How on earth did we best that guy yesterday?_ Scott thought in wonder. Finally, after a final sweep of the area, the pair moved off down East 32nd, away from the two boys hidden in the shadows. They followed them all the way to 3rd Avenue, where the two boys turned off. Scott and Stiles rushed to the corner, to make sure they saw where they went. As they did, they caught a snippet of their conversation.

"Do you reckon she'll forgive me?"

The taller brunette sighed. "I don't know and I don't care, Theo. She's your problem. If your girlfriend never forgives you, I won't blame her."

"Well, gee, tell me what you really think."

"Theo, I don't like you enough to lie to you. So, can you please just shut up? If you're so insecure about it, maybe you should try to be more compassionate."

Theo shrugged, swinging his axe. "I'm not too worried. I mean, I only really want her to forgive me so I'll get to bang her later. I also know that you won't let me anywhere near Lydia, so she's off the list. I could always go find someone else, but that takes effort, and I don't have any particular desire to rape anybody."

The taller male stopped in his tracks, eyes wide. Eventually, he scowled. "You're right. I will _never_ let you anywhere near Lydia. In fact, if you ever touch her, I will personally cut off your genitals. And if you ever rape anyone, you'd better watch your back, because I will come and kill you in your sleep." Once again, Scott questioned how they ever overpowered someone so intimidating. He walked towards Theo, who hadn't said anything in response to his threats, and slipped his hand around to rest at the back of his neck. If anyone stumbled by them now, they might think it a friendly gesture, but Scott knew he was firmly asserting dominance. The taller had a look in his eye that anyone would have trouble challenging, but Theo was doing just that. The taller male pressed his fingers into the flesh of Theo's neck, his face impassive. Theo swallowed deeply, and the other boy let him go, walking on as if nothing had happened. Theo glared at his back, but walked on too.

  


There was a silence that stretched on for a long time. Finally, Theo pointed at a D'Agostino Supermarket off to their left. "Brett." He said softly. Brett looked over at where he was pointing.

"Looks mostly untouched. Lucky. Let's check it out."

Theo nodded and followed Brett into the store. The door was smashed, but everything inside was mostly intact. Brett and Theo swept the shelves, looking for non-perishables. They took some rice, pasta, cans of beans and spaghetti, flour and sugar, pain killers, vitamins, nuts and chocolates. The chocolate would be a little stale, but they'd been preserved quite well because they'd not been open to the air, and they hadn't gotten wet. Scott and Stiles grabbed a few things themselves, being sure to stay quiet. They crept out of the store and waited for the other two to emerge.

The walk back was mostly uneventful, except for a few stray zombies, which were cut down without much effort. It wasn't long before they were back at the junction of 5th and 32nd. Theo led the way to a tall building. 'dylan' was written above the door, and Scott guessed that was the name of this place. Theo's shoulders were slumped, and he looked tired and angry. Brett, however, looked really happy. He was smiling widely. Suddenly, his face fell. He sighed as Theo opened the door with a set of keys. He rubbed his face with his hands. "Okay. Happy."

Theo shook his head and laughed. "I don't know why you always have to put on a face for her. Maybe I was right when I said that you weren't gay, but you were banging her. Maybe that's why you're so goddamn protective of her. Would certainly explain why she wakes up curled around your side." Theo looked like he had a lot more to say, but he was cut off when Brett shoved him back against the wall.

"Don't pretend you don't love her too. I know you do. Why else would you have said it so quietly? Why else would you never talk about out here to her? You care what she thinks."

"No, I don't. I never cared about your little angel, Brett. I don't care what she is to you. I'm only keeping her here because she cooks well, and because Malia would never forgive me if I threw her out."

Brett wrapped his hand around Theo's neck and held him up, so his feet were dangling off the ground. "You're so full of shit, Theo. Just stop lying through your teeth for one second, why don't you? Now, when we walk in there, we're back to being acquaintances, okay?"

Theo scowled at him, and Brett shook him, hard. Scott had no idea how Theo kept his cool under those fierce eyes. "Do you understand me?" Brett growled.

"Yes." Theo said through gritted teeth. Brett slowly let Theo down. He held him outside until the marks on his neck were mostly gone, and then pushed Theo ahead of him, closing and locking the door behind them. Scott and Stiles walked to the front door of the place.

"Woah. That was intense. Some serious macho bullshit going down there." Stiles said cheerily. "Anyway, we should find another opening. No use bashing their door down."

Scott was the one who spotted the open window on the fifth storey. It was only slightly ajar, but it was enough. Scott was the one who had to climb up onto it. He stood on Stiles' shoulders, who was standing on a dumpster they'd found in an alley close by, to reach the bottom of the balcony on the third storey. He pulled himself up and kept climbing. He slid the window open further and jumped in. He slid it closed again, just in case someone else saw it. He made his way down to the lobby to let Stiles in. He took the time to admire how nice the place was. He was so caught up in his inspection, he almost ran into Theo, but he avoided it right at the last second, only because Theo coughed. Scott flattened himself against the wall and held his breath.

When they'd passed, Scott let out his breath and continued down the stairs. When he opened the front door, Stiles had moved the dumpster back, and was waiting for him. "Okay. Stage one complete Scotty. Good job." He gave his shoulder a pat on his way past.

"They're staying on a floor above three. I don't know exactly which one, but I'm guessing we'll find them by their voices."

"Okay." They ascended the stairs, and Stiles saw the back of Brett's shirt. They'd apparently made a stop in another of the rooms, and had just finished there. They followed them up only one more flight of stairs before they opened a door and entered. Theo went in first, looking even more stormy than before, and Brett followed.

"Honey, I'm home!" They heard Brett's cheery voice say.

"My god, are you always this dorky?" Scott stiffened at Liam's voice. He was here. He glanced quickly over at Stiles, but he was listening intently, trying to keep perfectly still.

"Nope. Only for Lydia." Scott wondered what, exactly, Brett's relationship with Lydia was. He obviously loved her, but how much, and in what way? Scott was startled by what Liam said next.

"Be careful, or I might start to get jealous." _Is he flirting with him? Maybe Stiles is right._ Scott shook his head. No way. Liam had dated only girls. There was no way he was gay...right?

"Aw, don't get jealous. I'm sure we'll find our special thing soon enough, love." _Are they already together? Did Liam really leave us for this guy? Was I really this blind?_

"Polygamy is illegal, you know." Theo said. He sounded as moody as he'd looked.

"In the apocalypse, nothing is illegal. Besides, the heart will do what the heart will do, Theo." _He sounds like some religious monk._ Scott thought, bringing a smile to his face. He almost laughed out loud, but he kept it in.

"Yeah, well, your heart's a bucket of mush, so that means you should be dead already." Theo retorted bitterly. Scott frowned. That was so far from the truth. Brett was as tough as a rock. _Maybe the others don't know about his other side?_ That thought made Scott want to run in and take Liam as far away as possible. He didn't though, because he knew that bursting in, when they didn't know how many people were there, was a stupid idea. As if sensing Scott's thoughts, Stiles put his hand on Scott's shoulder and shook his head.

"Cheer up, Theo. We're healthy and safe. We have enough to eat and drink. Be happy. Live for the moment." There was a brief pause before Brett let out a quiet 'oof'. "That hurts, Theo." He said, even though it was obviously said in fun. Scott tried to wrap his mind around this guy's personality, but he couldn't. Every action that was soft, or funny, seemed to be countered by a move of aggression. There was an even longer pause before the next conversation, even though there was a lot of movement.

"Seems like a fun guy." Liam said sarcastically. Scott felt his chest tighten at the voice. He hoped he was okay. Liam was one of his best friends. He would be devastated if anything happened to him.

"Oh, yeah, he is. Especially when he randomly slaps his girlfriend and bitches about it for the rest of the afternoon." Scott knew he shouldn't be particularly shocked by this new information, but he was. He was now even more anxious about leaving Liam with these people, but again Stiles held him back.

"Is she okay?" Scott was confused by the genuine concern in Liam's voice. Liam wasn't usually one for showing outward affection, especially for someone he didn't really know. He did have a remarkably strong moral compass like himself, though, so Scott supposed that it wasn't all _that_ strange, but still...

Brett's voice was soft and low, like he didn't want Theo's girlfriend to hear. "Yeah, she'll be fine." His voice returned to normal. "But, we should all get some food in us and get to bed. So, I guess we should untie you so you can eat properly. Come on, up." _They have him tied up._ Scott's heart stopped. _He's a prisoner. I was right. He's in trouble._ He looked frantically at Stiles, who shook his head. He could see the desperation in his eyes. He tried to calm his breathing. He knew he was close to an asthma attack, and having one of those would _not_ be the optimal outcome at this current point in time. He lengthened his breaths and calmed his heart. He shuffled back to lie his stomach on the floor. His legs were getting sore. Stiles followed suit, smiling at him reassuringly.

"Sit." Brett's voice drifted to them from the other room. Even said in a friendly way, it sounded like an order. It sounded like he was telling a dog to sit, like Liam was an animal that performed tricks for his benefit. It made Scott's blood boil. He felt Stiles' hand press between his shoulder blades, just as Brett gave another command. "Arms up." Scott scowled at the floor. Stiles rubbed small circles in Scott's back, finally resorting to whispering things in his ear. He continued to do this all the way through dinner, and kept doing it until they were absolutely sure everyone else was asleep. Then, and only then, did they finally move.

  


Stiles went first, slowly pushing the door open, keeping his ears trained for any indication that someone was waking up. He walked slowly over to Liam, the only one sleeping on the floor, and shook his shoulder, a hand over his mouth. "Liam. It's us." Liam blinked his eyes open. Stiles slipped his hand away from his mouth and untied his wrists. Scott moved up behind Stiles, and helped Liam to his feet. He wrapped him in a tight hug.

"You shouldn't have come. I'm not going with you. I thought you would have figured out that I left on my own."

"But why." Liam bit his lip, looking at the floor.

"Because of Stiles, and because I can't...if you get hurt, I'll never be able to forgive myself, Scott. I know you don't think I'm gay, but I've loved you for...forever. All those girls...sure, they were great, but they weren't _you_. Besides, if I do go, I'm not going without Brett."

"But there's so much you don't know about him. We saw him, today, roughing up Theo."

"Theo's a prick. Besides, he would never hurt anyone he cares about."

"And you think he cares about you? He only just met you, Liam."

"So? He understands me a lot better than you do. Look, I left while you were asleep so you wouldn't come looking for me. I'm not your responsibility any more. I know that I was the baby of your friend group, but I'm not any more. I'm not a part of your friend circle. There are no friend circles in the apocalypse, only those you're left with. I have no loyalty left for you, or Stiles. And just so you know, Brett was right. Stiles is a shitty friend." He turned away and sat on the floor, facing the wall.

Scott bent down to kneel on the floor, wrapping his arms around Liam's torso. "Liam, please. We can talk about this later. Just please, come back with us. If you really want, we'll come back tomorrow and give you back, but these people had you tied up. It's obvious they don't trust you."

"Brett does. He's a good person." Scott sighed.

"Fine. We can bring him. Just...tell him to be quiet, okay?"

"Okay." Scott let Liam go, and he slipped into one of the bedrooms off to the side. "Brett."

Brett had one arm slung over Lydia's waist, holding her close, fast asleep. Brett frowned against the half-light of the afternoon. "What? How'd you get out? What are you doing?"

"Scott and Stiles came for me. I want to take you with me."

Brett was silent for a little while, taking in Stiles, Scott, Liam and Lydia. "You know I'm not leaving without her."

Stiles surprised everyone by saying, "yeah, okay, can we please just leave already."

Brett frowned at him. "I don't trust him."

"Honestly, neither do I, but I trust Scott to keep him in check." Liam looked at Brett's expression of indecision before speaking up again. "Come on, this is your chance to leave Theo. This is the best way to do it. Trade one asshole for another, more manageable asshole. Come with us. If you don't like us afterwards, I'll go with you, leave this place behind. At least we'll be free of Theo, right?"

Brett chewed at his lip, but Scott could see that he was quickly making up his mind. "Fine, but she stays in the middle. Stiles and I guard the back, you and Scott guard our front. She doesn't see any fighting. We can't really help her seeing the bodies, but if you see a zombie, you tell her to close her eyes. If you don't, she'll break. If we have to run, we don't leave her. I've kept her alive, safe and sane for this long. I won't fail her."

"Okay." Brett asked them to leave the room while he woke and spoke to Lydia. They packed quickly, not having much to take. Brett was obviously favouring his left foot, shuffling heavily on his right. Scott noted that he'd been pretty neutral during his walk with Theo. He wondered which act had been put on. Judging by the fact that Stiles had impaled his foot, it was when he was with Theo, to look stronger, but it could be this stumbling gait. Then again, it could be both, and he was exaggerating it now to look weaker in front of himself and Stiles, and he'd wanted to look more intimidating with Theo. Scott was still pondering this when he saw Liam give Brett a strange look. It then dawned on him that he had been putting it on both times. _He doesn't trust us._ The realisation really shouldn't have taken this long to hit, but Scott was, by nature, a trusting person. He suddenly felt uneasy about letting Brett into their little party, but it wasn't like he could back out now.

They left the building without incident. They were almost back to the Marble Collegiate Church, the place Scott, Stiles and Liam were staying, when they were completely surrounded by zombies. Brett's voice shakily rang out in the darkening evening. "Lydia, sweetheart, close your eyes."


	4. Chapter 4

As Brett's voice faded, everything exploded into chaos. Stiles swung his baseball bat into an oncoming zombie, while Brett lopped off a head off to his right. He could hear Liam and Scott grunting behind him. He quickly assessed their situation. There were about thirty zombies in front of him, and about ten in front of Liam, but there was a herd of about fifty coming in from a side street off to his left. He spun around and saw Lydia standing completely still, white as porcelain. "Oh, God, Lydia." He breathed before taking her hand and leading her to the solid facade of buildings on his right. "Stay here." He ordered, and Lydia dumbly nodded her head. Brett turned back around, and saw Liam and Scott close by. They'd closed ranks around Lydia, hacking at zombies. Stiles was very quickly getting pushed back by their sheer numbers. "Aw, Hell."

Brett left the other three and made his way over to Stiles. By now, the number of zombies in the street had almost halved, but there were more coming from the side streets. "Fuck." The zombies closed ranks around Brett, and Stiles cut his way through.

"Come on! We can't fight them all!"

"I'm not-"

"Leaving Lydia. I know. You're so honourable. Now, are you coming, or are you going to just stay and die here?" Brett was stuck in indecision before Stiles scowled and tugged his hand, dragging him out of the mess. "Run." Stiles instructed him, and Brett did, feeling endlessly guilty about it.

  


"In here!" Stiles called. They were still getting trailed by the zombies, and Stiles had hurriedly pulled on the door to a place called the 'Bar Bordeaux'. It was, miraculously, open, and Stiles pulled Brett inside. He pushed his back against the door while Brett found something to barricade it. He came back with a mop and two brooms, which he fitted into the slot of the door handle. He then helped Stiles stack tables in front of it.

"I have to go back. I promised her mother-"

"Do you have a death wish?" Stiles hissed in his face.

Brett scowled, standing taller. "No, but I'll drag you with me if I have to."

Stiles shook his head before pushing himself into Brett's space. "You gonna try to intimidate me like you did Theo today? Good luck, pretty boy. I've seen your weakness when it comes to Liam and Lydia. And you know what? I've dealt with intimidation before. That's worked zero percent of the time, and those people didn't show me their hearts. You're not a bad guy, Brett, so whatever you're thinking of doing, you're alone. You wanna die out there? Be my guest. But you think about how Lydia'll feel about that, yeah? I'm not really fancying the idea of leaving Scott either, but I'll do it, because I know he can take care of himself. I know he'll want me to live, rather than throwing my life away uselessly in a frantic rush to see him before sundown. Do you really think you can save her? This is the apocalypse. If she's gonna die, there's nothing you can even hope to do about it."

Brett was bristling, ready to push back, but he reigned his anger in. _Maybe he's right._ Even as he thought this, he set his face into a mask of fierce anger. "I _will_ save her, Stiles. And I'll take Liam and her, down to Philadelphia, where we'll set up, and live together, happy. That's what we're gonna do. And in my vision, there's no room for you, or Scott. I don't care about you. And sure, I care about them, but you already know what I do to those I don't care about. I leave them. I have no room for you. I would rather that you'd left me back there, because I would have fought my way to her. I would have saved her, not run like a coward." Brett was now looming over Stiles, scowling at him. He really hated asserting dominance, but sometimes, he had to admit, it was necessary. Stiles, for his part, didn't look too scared, but there was a flicker of fear in his eyes. _Holds his own better than Theo, in any case._ Brett stood above Stiles for a few more seconds before turning away.

Stiles shook himself and rummaged around, seeing what he could find. There wasn't much except for bottles of alcohol. Stiles pulled out a bottle of black label Jack Daniel's. He opened it without hesitation and took a swig, frowning a bit at the taste. "Want some?"

Brett scowled at the bottle. "No thanks. I'd rather keep my head on my shoulders." He settled in for drunken conversation with this asshole.

  


"I'm just sayin', you know, that she's cute. That hair is a _lovely_ color." Stiles took another swig from the bottle. "Hmm. Her eyes are pretty too. Y'know. They're like...I don't know...the sea...haha." He took another drink. "I remember saying that before. Plenty of girls in the sea."

Stiles went to take another drink, but Brett liberated the near-empty empty bottle from his grasp. "Aw, I was enjoying that..."

Brett shook his head, chuckling. "You are so smashed." Drunk Stiles was a really interesting character. He was really vulnerable, and extremely romantic. He'd tried to kiss Brett three times already. He tried again. 

"Come on Lydia. I know you like me. Just one kiss, baby." He pushed his lips against Brett's neck. "Mm." Stiles moaned, moving his lips, pushing his tongue past his lips, licking at Brett's neck. "Why aren't you kissing back?"

"Because that's my neck, Stiles."

"Oh." Stiles giggled. "Sorry. I can't really see at the moment. I'm not really-"

"Go to sleep, Stiles." Stiles sighed and put his head on Brett's shoulder.

"You know, I really didn't mean to kill that guy, but he was just so...infuriating."

Brett froze. "Who?"

Brett waited for an answer, but Stiles was already fast asleep. He tried jostling him awake, but he was already too far gone. "Fuck." Brett frowned, trying to think about who Stiles might have killed, but he had no idea. Eventually, he drifted off the sleep, the question still burning in his mind

  


"Good morning." Brett said as Stiles shielded his eyes from the light. "Do you remember last night at all?"

"Should I?" Stiles moaned, holding his head.

Brett pressed a bottle of water into Stiles' hand. Stiles drank gratefully. "Nah. You just tried to kiss me a few times while telling me how pretty Lydia was." He groaned and turned over.

"That's nice. How long do I have before it gets better?"

"A few hours at best, but we have to get going now. It's almost midday already. We only have a little way to walk, but I'd like to get there before two. Then, we'll have time to catch up before going to sleep. So, you've got ten minutes." Brett kept his voice low, but he was still reeling from the most recent information he'd received. _I wonder who Stiles killed._

"'Kay. I'll be there." Stiles pushed himself up slowly. He gripped his knees tightly, leaning over, dry heaving a bit. Brett rubbed his back a bit, taking pity on him. He'd been in that position plenty of times before. Stiles turned and gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

"No worries, man. We should get moving, though. You ready to go?"

"Yeah. Let's start moving. Just...go slowly, yeah."

Brett nodded. Together, they moved the tables in front of the door and took the brooms and mop out of the door handle. Brett stuck his head out, checking that the coast was clear, which it mostly was. "How good are you with that bow?"

"Right now? Probably pretty terrible. How're you?"

"Pretty alright." Stiles nodded and, getting his point, unslung his bow and gave it to Brett. Brett slipped out of the bar and knocked an arrow. He drew the string back, and released. He swore as the arrow skittered across the ground just to the left to one zombie. It turned towards the sound as Brett knocked another arrow. He pulled the string back again, and released it. This time, the arrow buried itself in the zombie's shoulder. Brett knocked yet another as the force of the arrow spun the zombie around. Stiles pushed past him and hacked into the zombie's head with a butterfly knife he had in his pocket. He tugged the arrow free and brought it back to Brett.

"Try pulling back further, sight down your arm, maybe close one eye, and release with your breath. Try it with that other one." Brett nodded and lined the zombie up in his sight. He pulled the string back. Stiles tapped his fingers. "One on top, one on the bottom, use only the tips." Brett corrected his grip and lined up again. "Keep the bow upright. You're tilting it. Keep your torso straight. If you need to twist, twist at the waits, not your chest. You want to keep your lungs straight and open." Brett did as instructed. "There you go. Now, shoulders back and breathe in, and out, in, and out, in, and release." Brett did, and felt a rush of triumph when the zombie fell, arrow implanted in its head.

"You're really good."

A look of sadness passed across Stiles' face. "I was taught by Allison, Scott's girlfriend. She was in our school's archery club. I thought it would be cool to learn. She was killed before this by a gang, trying to rob her. She was with her aunt. She got killed too."

"I'm sorry." Stiles nodded, smiling sadly.

They headed north-west on 39th, up to the church, Brett taking care of any zombies on the way. He was getting really good with his aim. He was getting excited, wanting to tell Lydia about his new-found expertise. He was pushing open the door when he suddenly lost all feelings of excitement. Lydia looked sick.

"Lydia?"

  


**_Liam's POV_ **

  


Liam felt the single moment when everything started falling apart. Stiles had just swung his bat, and then, all of the zombies descended on them at once. Scott and Liam retreated backwards under their weight, being forced to the buildings on their left flank. Liam caught Brett's eye as he stepped next to him. Suddenly, Brett's eyes flicked off to the side. "Aw, Hell."

Confused, Liam followed Brett's gaze. He was looking at Stiles, gradually disappearing underneath waves and waves of zombies. Brett ran to fetch him, also disappearing from view.

"We have to run. There's no way we can make it out fighting." Liam nodded hesitantly. He pulled Lydia after him. Scott was at the head of their party, clearing a path through the zombies. They'd almost made it all the way back when Lydia's scream pierced the descending night. Liam and Scott turned to her, only to see a zombie attached to her arm. Liam hacked its head in half and its jaws fell open, releasing her from its deadly grip. Liam pulled her inside and Scott pushed the door closed, barricading it firmly.

With that taken care of, Liam and Scott turned to Lydia, who was staring at her arm in shock and horror. "Lydia?" Liam stepped forward and Lydia fainted, sinking into his arms. Liam caught her and, with Scott's help, dragged her to Stiles' mattress.

"She doesn't look too good." Scott said nervously.

"Well, of course she doesn't. She just got bitten by a zombie."

"Should we be trying to...to cut it off?" Scott's voice was shaking.

"What? No! Just...I don't know. There...I don't think we can really do anything. Let's just...wait for tomorrow. Brett and stiles should catch up with us then, and they'll know what to do." Liam was shaking too.

Scott nodded slowly. "Okay." He didn't look convinced, but Liam would take that.

Liam swallowed. "We should, uh...try to get some rest, yeah?"

Scott nodded again. "Yeah." He cleared his throat. "No, wait. We should eat first. I'll make something. What have we got?"

In the next few hours, Scott made them dinner and made a valiant attempt at making Lydia feel better. Even though she'd eaten, she wasn't responding to outside stimuli at all, opting to just lie there and stare into space. Liam couldn't really blame her. She'd had a pretty rough day. Theo's actions had clearly shaken her, and this may have just tipped her over the edge. Not that her mental condition would be their major concern for much longer. Liam was worrying what would happen when Brett came back. How would he react? Would he blame them? All of these thoughts prevented Liam from sleeping that night.

  


Liam had only just closed his eyes when he heard Brett's voice. "Lydia?" Liam felt his heart squeeze in sympathy. He knew exactly what his face would look like right now. "Lydia?" Brett had started forward, hovering, as if he didn't really know what to do. _Not that different from us, then._

Brett finally glided over to Lydia's bed, feet barely leaving the floor, and sank to his knees. "Lydai, sweetheart, it's gonna be okay. Are you in pain?"

"No." It was the first time Lydia had talked since she'd gotten bitten, and Liam was concerned by how serene she sounded.

"That's good." He swallowed. His voice was light. _I hope he doesn't faint. I don't know what we'll do if he faints._

Liam suddenly realised he hadn't seen or heard from Stiles. "Hey, where's Stiles?"

The sound of Theo's voice sent shivers up Liam's spine. "He's right here." Theo was dragging Stiles' limp body with only one hand. His throat was slit, blood coating his front. "Now, one of you stabbed Malia, and I'm gonna find out who it was. Stiles said it wasn't him, and I quite believe him. So, let's see...I think I'll start with you next." Theo pointed at Liam, making his way towards him.

Scott, just a little way outside of Theo's peripheral vision, made his way silently to a bow left on the ground. He knocked an arrow with nimble fingers, drew back and fired. The arrow came hurtling through Theo's temple, running all the way through. Theo stood for a few moments before crumpling. "Oh my God." Scott dropped the bow.

"Scott?" Liam called from where he was standing.

"What did I do? What...what happened?"

Liam made his way over, crouching in front of him. "You did what you had to do, Scott, like you always do. He was gonna kill us, right? You saved us."

"He killed Stiles..."

"Yeah. He did."

Liam was pulled from his mild panic by the sound of Brett singing.

 _These scars long have yearned for your tender caress,_  
_to bind our fortunes, damn what the stars own._

Brett had taken Lydia onto his lap, cradling her head on his shoulder. They were facing away from them, and Liam could tell that he was crying. He also knew, somehow, that the song wasn't just for Lydia. Already Scott seemed calmer, and it was soothing Liam's erratic heart too.

 _Rend my heart open, then your love profess_  
_A winding, weaving fate to which we both atone._

Brett's shoulders were shaking, and his voice was unsteady, but he pushed on anyway.

 _You flee my dream come the morning._  
_Your scent - berries tart, lilac sweet._  
_To dream of raven locks entwisted, stormy_  
_Of violet eyes, glistening as you weep._

Once Brett had finished singing, he kissed Lydia's temple. He sniffed. Liam crouched down in front of him. He could see that Lydia was asleep. "Do you want me to get anything?" Brett nodded silently. "What is it? I won't know unless you tell me."

"A knife." Brett whispered. Liam frowned, but got him what he asked for. Brett took the knife from Liam's hands and held it over Lydia's heart, point facing in. He tightly shut his eyes, breathing heavily. "I'm so sorry, Lydia." He plunged the knife in deep, and she died instantly. Brett's hands slid from the knife, and rested in Lydia's lap.

Liam waited for what felt like an eternity before pulling the knife out. The action seemed to shake Brett from his thoughts. He looked directly at Liam, an unnerving intensity in his eyes. "I want to send her down the river." Liam nodded. Brett shifted Lydia in his arms and carried her, bridal style, to the door.

Liam went over to Stiles and picked him up in the same way. He went to Scott and deposited his limp body into his outstretched arms. Liam and Scott walked outside, finding Brett walking at a leisurely pace, injured foot forgotten. Liam rushed out in front and took care of some loitering zombies. As they made their way down 29th, the macabre procession got rained on, as if the skies could sense how desolate they all felt. The walk took a long time, almost an hour and a half, but they didn't really care. They turned onto 1st Avenue, and were met with a clear path. Liam was glad that he could take a break from all the death for just a minute.

They took their final turn on 35th and cut through the school grounds to the ferry port. There, they all stopped. Scott was the first to let go. He said a few words to his fallen friend and pushed him out into the water, watching with unending sadness as his body was swept away by the swirling currents. He turned and cried into Liam's shoulder, unable to watch what he knew was to come.

"I'm so sorry, Lydia. I promised-" His voice broke. "I promised I'd always take care of you." He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "I wish I had a hairbrush. Then, I could brush it 'till it shined again, and then we'd play dress-ups. You'd be the queen and I'd be your princess. Always. Forever your princess, sweetheart." He sobbed. "I'm gonna miss you so much. I just wish...I just wish we'd had more time. You deserved so much better. God, Lydia. I'm so sorry." Brett walked into the water until it was lapping at his knees. He laid her gently in the waves. He held her hand, gradually letting go, until finally, she slipped away from his grasp.

When Brett didn't move for a while, Liam moved Scott off of his shoulder and waded in with him. Because of the height difference, the water level was up to Liam's thighs. Liam hovered for a few seconds, not really knowing what to do, before wrapping his arms around Brett's waist from behind. Brett turned and hugged Liam fiercely. They stayed there for a long time, only moving once it started to get dark.

  


They all made it back in one piece. Scott was held firmly outside while Brett took Theo's body out of the church. Once that was taken care of, they all entered and collapsed onto their mattresses. "Theo said that Malia was dead, didn't he?"

"Yeah." _Don't make him think about it._

"I wanna go and see if she's okay. Tomorrow. Will you come with me?" Scott shook his head, but Liam agreed. "Thanks. I'm...can I sleep with you?" Brett asked sheepishly.

Liam smiled softly, shifting over to give Brett room. "Yeah."

Brett sank into the mattress gratefully, seeming to thrive in the shared warmth. "Sorry, I'm just so used to-"

"It's okay. I get it. You can sleep with me any time you like." Brett smiled at him and pulled him into his chest. Liam stiffened at the contact before melting into his grip. It didn't take long for them to fall asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first song in this chapter is called 'Celestial' by Phildel. I just thought it fit at the time, and I really like how it sounds.

Liam and Brett set out early the next morning. They wanted to pick up some supplies while they were in the apartment, so they took an extra, empty duffel bag. "If what Theo said was true, Malia should still be on the fourth floor of the building."

"Uh huh." Liam wasn't really paying attention. Scott had looked so lost this morning. He had wandered around, shoulders slumped. _He just lost his best friend and killed someone, not a zombie, for the first time. Give him a break._ Even though he thought those things, he couldn't help but worry about him. He'd been hit hard by the events of the last few days. _And you leaving him didn't help anything._ Liam was startled out of his thoughts by Brett's hand on his shoulder.

"I asked if you were paying attention, but I guess I have my answer. You were thinking about him, weren't you?" Liam nodded. "Liam, it's not your fault, you know? Stiles's death, it didn't...it wasn't...that's not on you, okay?"

"I left him, left _them_. If I hadn't-"

"Don't think like that. It's not your fault." Brett placed his hand on Liam's shoulder. Liam turned away, not wanting to be comforted. "Liam..."

"Don't."

  


The rest of their journey was silent. Brett took out his key and opened the door to the apartment building. Brett, sensing that their time was limited, took the steps two at a time, leaving Liam hurrying behind him. He opened the door to their nest and gasped when he saw Malia lying on the floor, clutching her side.

"Malia?" Brett rushed to her side, pulling her head onto his lap. "Malia, what happened? Who did this?"

"Son of a bitch stabbed me. Theo. He lost it, when you left. He screamed at me, about how he knew I'd go and kill you. I think, though, he was mostly upset about Lydia. Where is she, by the way?"

"Lydia...she got bitten." Liam made an entrance, tripping over the welcome mat. "Liam, Liam can you...can you get the antiseptic from the bathroom cupboard, please?" Liam left, and came back with a bottle of yellow liquid. Brett took it with shaking hands. Liam closed his hands over Brett's.

"Brett. Steady. Breathe." Brett swallowed and nodded. He uncapped the bottle and sloshed some of the liquid over Malia's wound. She hissed in pain.

"Okay, can you take her? I'll find the other stuff and patch her up. Then, we'll take her to the church where Scott is."

"Okay." Liam lifted Malia's head up and shifted her into his lap, stroking her hair. "Theo did this?" He asked, looking at her side. Malia nodded. "Can I lift your shirt up? It'll make it easier to clean and stitch up."

"Yeah. Go ahead. Whatever you have to do." Liam carefully lifted Malia's shirt up and she hissed again. Brett came back with a bowl of warm, salty water.

"This is gonna sting again, okay? The salt will cleanse the wound further, just to make sure it doesn't get infected, yeah?" Malia nodded. "Then, after we've done that, we need to get stitches in, okay?"

"Whatever you have to do." Malia said again.

"I'm just letting you know what's happening, love." Malia nodded and hissed yet again when Brett pressed a cloth to her wound. "How you feeling?"

"Pretty terrible, but not like I'm dying. It doesn't feel infected or inflamed. I can't really see it, because the wound mostly took out my abdominal muscles. I've barely been able to move all night." Liam gripped her hand tightly as Brett pulled the cloth away.

"Well, it's good that you know how it feels. At least it's not numb." Malia grunted in agreement. "Okay. Your wound should be clean now, but I still need to sterilise the needle, okay? That'll take a little while, so just relax for a bit."

Malia closed her eyes and screwed them shut, her breaths sharp and shallow. Liam's eyes tracked Brett's movements. He saw Brett light a candle, then pull out a first-aid kit. He threaded a needle and held it in the heat of the flame. He came back and pinched the wound closed. Malia finally made a sound louder than a whisper, screaming hoarsely.

"You didn't warn me that time."

"Sorry, I forgot. You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm okay." Liam's hand was losing circulation, she was squeezing so hard. He let her squeeze as hard as she wanted. He'd had stitches put in without anaesthetic before, and it had not been a fun experience.

Five stitches later, they were all already shaking and tired. "We should rest here for a bit. Two hours, tops, yeah?" Both Malia and Brett were too exhausted to argue. Malia was already asleep, and Liam followed Brett into his room.

"Are you sure you want to sleep with me?" Brett asked.

Liam hugged Brett. "Yes. I'm sure." Brett relaxed into Liam's embrace. He started to cry, physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted.

"God, what happened? Theo's dead, Lydia's gone, Malia's injured and Stiles...Stiles..."

"What about Stiles?" Brett didn't answer for a long time. "Did he tell you something?"

"When we were separated from you, he got drunk. He tried to kiss me, but I pushed him off every time. He thought I was Lydia." He laughed a little at the memory. His face fell. "He told me...he said he'd killed someone. I...I think...I mean, I don't want to-"

"Did he tell you who?"

"No, but I have a theory that it was Mason. I...did you...I'm sorry to bring him up, but...did you _see_ him die?" Liam pulled away and sat on the mattress. Brett bit his lip. "I'm sorry."

Liam shook his head. "I saw it." He sniffed, and Brett sat down next to him. Liam leaned into Brett. "We were all walking together, and we got attacked by a hoard. He got separated from the group. We tried to amputate, but none of us could really handle it. Mason almost fainted at the first sign of blood, Stiles _did_ faint, and Scott couldn't bear the thought of Mason without an arm. I couldn't do it by myself, and I didn't want to hurt him. He turned. None of us could..." He didn't finish, but Brett didn't mind. He wasn't going to push. He threaded their hands together.

 _Light from long-dead stars_  
_Still journeys so far._  
_Celestial are the hearts,_  
_Still love when love's past._

 _You are my rosary_  
_You are my rosary._

 _I would abandon the moon,_  
_Turning my back to the light_  
_Till it's just me and the dark,_  
_Before your heart,_  
_Here tonight._  
_I would abandon the moon,_  
_Raise up the stars from their space._  
_Till it's just me and the dark,_  
_Before your heart,_  
_Here in this place._

_Then you would be all I'd see._

_Love is all I need,_  
_Your touch, your heart._  
_Love is all I want,_  
_One light, still on._

  


"How'd you get so good at singing?"

"You could have waited 'till I'd finished, but my mother actually pushed me to do it. She wanted me to be musical. I started with the guitar, and then moved on to the violin. Then, it was the flute. Cello. Piano. Tuba. Finally, I decided to try singing. My mom always sung me the one I sang Lydia." He swallowed his tears. "Lydia and I would, when we were younger, play with each other. I would often sleep over and sing it to her. 'The Wolven Storm'. She loved it."

"Sounds like everyone loved her."

"They did." Brett said quietly.

"Are you okay?" Liam asked after a minute.

"I just need sleep. I'll be okay." Liam nodded and kissed his cheek, lying down on the mattress. Brett slipped behind him and wrapped his arm around Liam's waist.

"Brett?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you could sing it to me? The Wolven Storm?"

_"These scars long have yearned for your tender caress..._

  


"Malia? Come on, we need to get moving. Can you sit up? Can you walk?" Brett asked as he shook her awake.

She tried to sit up, and winced in pain. "Nope."

Brett shot Liam a concerned look. "Do you have the supplies packed?" Liam nodded. "Okay, I'm gonna carry you Malia, alright?" Malia nodded and slung an arm over Brett's shoulder. She scrunched her eyes up, but she stayed where she was, so Brett wrapped his arm under her knees and shoulders.

On the way back, they didn't encounter any problems. Liam was struggling under the weight of their duffelbag, but Brett couldn't offer him assistance. Luckily, the walk was only ten minutes long. They pushed the door to the church open and were met by Scott.

"Is she okay?" He asked as Brett got her inside, pushing past him. He laid her on Stiles' mattress and popped two painkillers, which she practically drank down.

"She'll be fine." Liam dropped the duffelbag on the flood with a heavy thud and slid to the floor. "Liam-" He started to stand and Malia grabbed his wrist. "What is it?"

"Your sister. Go and find her. Now that Theo's no longer here, you can go and find her. Go to Philadelphia. She'll be there, I know it."

"And leave you?"

"She'll be fine with me. She's right. Liam should go with you. We'll catch up when Malia's healed. It'll give me something to do, to keep my mind off of...and it'll give you two a chance to find your family." Scott shot a look at Liam. "I know you're looking for your dad. You should go find him. You won't achieve anything by sitting around here."

Malia kept trying to persuade them. "It'll only take a few weeks to heal. I'll be able to move around in a couple of days...Brett, I'll be fine, you said it yourself. As long as no zombies come, we'll be alright. Go. I bet she misses you." Liam could see his will crumbling.

He stood and put a hand on Brett's shoulder. "One thing I know from experience, is that if a lady has her mind set, there's no budging her." He smiled down at Malia. "We'll leave in the morning. Shouldn't take more than two days to get down to Phili from here."

"Okay. I'll get our things packed now. The earlier we leave, the more distance we can cross."

  


Early the next morning, after some teary goodbyes, Brett and Liam were out, travelling down to Philadelphia. "On the road again. Would you like me to si-"

"No. No, I would not like you to sing."

"Too early?" Liam nodded. "Well, alright then, mister grumpy pants. What would you like me to do? Maybe I could try walking on my hands. Maybe I should get us to play a game. Oh, I know! Let's play 'what's my job'. Let me think...I got it."

"I don't want to play any games, Brett. Let's just focus on getting as far as we can today."

Brett pouted. "But it's such a good one. Come on, just...at least ask the first question."

"Which is...? What? Don't look at me like that. I've never played before."

"Never?" Brett sounded mortified. "But it's the best game ever! Okay, the first question is always either indoors? Or outdoors? You can only ask questions with a yes or no answer, and you have to ask them 'till you figure out what my job is. So?"

Liam sighed. "Do you work indoors?"

"Yes." Brett replied without hesitation.

"Do you work outdoors?"

"Yes." Brett said, looking at Liam sideways. "You're quite good at this."

Liam blushed. "We've barely even started." He grumbled. "Is your place of work big?"

"Yes."

Liam kept asking questions until it finally clicked. "A monarch!"

"What?"

"That's what you are, right? Royalty."

Brett puffed out his chest. "Why yes I am. Thank you for noticing." Liam slapped his arm.

"Not like that. That's your job."

"It is." Brett stopped him. "Liam, you know I...I like you. A lot, yeah?"

"Yes." Liam said slowly, not really knowing where this was going.

"I just...how do you feel about me? I know you like Scott, but we've had so many...I don't want this to mean everything to me and nothing to yo-" Brett stopped talking when Liam wrapped his arms around his waist.

"How could this mean nothing to me, Brett. I like you. Just...if you try to make a move on me, I won't hesitate to kill you, you know? I'll let you know when I'm ready to spice my life up with a little romance, yeah?"

"Point taken. So, do you know how to get out of Manhattan? To tell you the truth, we've been pretty much walking in circles for the last hour."


	6. Chapter 6

Liam and Brett found themselves tangled on the couch in the lobby of the Battery Park City Library. They'd deemed it secure and huddled down for the night. It was located somewhere along the river, and they knew they'd have to cross it eventually. That thought was heavy on their minds as they lay there.

"Do you know any other songs?" Liam asked.

"If I sung 'In the Pines', would you sing it with me?"

"That's from the Walking Dead, right?"

"Yeah. Did you play it?"

"No, but Mason loved it. He would never stop talking about it. That song was his favourite."

"Oh. It doesn't have to be this one, if you-"

"I want to. _Little girl, little girl, don't lie to me."_

He nudged Brett, and he started singing too. _"Tell me where did you sleep last night?"_  
_In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines._  
_Will shiver the whole night through._

 _My daddy was a railroad man,_  
_Killed a mile and a half from here._  
_His head was found in a driver's wheel._  
_His body was never found._

 _In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines._  
_We'll shiver the whole night through._

 _You've caused me to weep, you've caused me to mourn,_  
_You've caused me to lose my home._

 _Little girl, little girl, where'd you sleep last night?_  
_Not even your mother knows._

 _In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines._  
_We'll shiver when the cold winds blow._

Brett blinked down at Liam. "I didn't know you were good at singing." Liam blushed and tried to hide his face, but Brett pushed his chin up. "No, really. You're good. You should sing more. Might have to get you to sing me lullabies." Liam smiled, and they looked at each other for a long time. _God, I really wanna kiss him._

"Goodnight, Brett." Liam breathed, after what felt like an eternity.

"Goodnight, Liam."

  


"So, crossing the river. That's gonna be a pain in the ass." Liam said, stretching.

"Tell me about it. The ferries won't be working, but we might be able to find a yacht."

"Don't like our chances."

"Come on, we're near a river! There're bound to be places where you could hire a boat. In fact, I think I can see one right over there. Finding a boat would be the best thing right now. We can probably go around New Jersey on a boat, avoiding zombies, and then we can take the Delaware river up to Schuylkill River and put the boat in the Philadelphia Navy Yard. From there, it's five miles to my house, which is, at most, a five hour walk. Let's just try, please? It'll take a couple more days, but it'll be worth it."

"And what about Scott and Malia?"

"They're smart. Scott'll find a boat, like we will, and he'll get Malia down with him. Maybe they'll find someone else who'll help them. Just...please?"

"Fine."

  


"Alright. We're here. Do you even know how to steer a yacht?" Liam sounded grumpy, and that made Brett feel irritated.

"Yes." Brett said, as if it should be obvious. "I'm offended that you would even consider the idea that I would offer this solution if I didn't know how to steer a boat." He was mildly annoyed that Liam was behaving this way. "Look, can you at least help, please?"

"Why should I? You're the one who knows what he's doing."

"Yeah, but I can't do everything by myself!

"Yeah, well you can't solve everything by singing a song!"

"Do you mean Lydia?" Brett asked quietly.

"Lydia, Stiles, Theo, Mason, and whoever else you sang for. You can't fix their deaths, or their problems, with a song."

Brett saw shocked into silence for a little bit. "What's this really about?"

Liam sighed. "I know I agreed, but we're leaving them behind. Like I left my dad, my mom, Stiles and Scott yesterday, Mason, and all the others." Brett pulled Liam into a hug.

"It's the zombie apocalypse, Liam. It's not like you put a bullet in their heads. Besides, Scott's still alive, and so is your dad. You wanna know how I know?"

"How?" Liam said, not really ready to believe anything Brett was going to say.

"Because, if you close your eyes, he's still there, isn't he?"

Liam blinked. "What?"

"Close your eyes. Bring his image into your mind." Liam did, even though he thought this was rather silly. "Do you see him?" Liam nodded. "He's alive, isn't he?"

"But Mason's alive when I see him, too. I just...I can't imagine them dead."

"Exactly. They're still alive in you. That's were it really matters. So what if you never see them again? At least you still have your memories. And don't believe anyone that says memories fade. The ones you keep closest to you, they'll always stay. They might evolve and change, but they won't leave you. I know because-"

"Of your parents, right?"

Brett nodded. "Them, and others."

"Okay. I'll help. What am I looking for?"

  


Thirty minutes later, they'd found a boat that was mostly intact. Brett had to do a bit of patchwork on the steering, but the yacht was, for the most part, sail-able. "Alright. Now, we need food, and lots of it. We're also gonna need lots of blankets and stuff to keep warm. We should reach Philadelphia before anything starts freezing over, but that doesn't mean it won't be cold. We've still got a few days of November left, so we should be alright, but we'll need to get inside before any snow storms hit. If we don't, hypothermia is probably gonna get the better of us. So, see if you can find any more vitamins. Especially vitamin C. We can't afford to get scurvy. Also, look for any antibiotics and bread."

"Bread? You know it's either stale or mouldy, right?"

"Yeah. But don't get the stale stuff. Only mouldy bread."

"Well, I'm not gonna be eating it."

"What? Why would you want to eat it? Oh, you don't know. Aspirin is made, basically, from the mould formed on bread because of the bacteria in yeast growing. That's why we mark it as 'perishable'. The bacteria in the thing that is perishable, after a time, grows active because of its moist environment, especially if it's kept somewhere warm. That's why freezing things keeps them fresh. It halts the growth of bacteria."

Liam blinked at Brett. "You should have saved your breath. I understood none of that. So, bread for the science nerd."

"Did you really never learn that?"

"Nope." Liam laughed.

"But...Biology." Brett whined.

"Barely got a passing grade."

"Chemistry?" Liam's wince was answer enough. "What about Physics?"

"Didn't understand it. Wasn't too surprising, seeing as I was failing Mathematics _and_ English."

"What _were_ you good at? And don't say nothing. Everyone's good at something."

"Honestly? We had one semester where, for an assignment, we had to build and sustain a garden. I got an A+. It was the only reason I passed Biology. So, Agriculture is my strong point. You?"

"Music."

"Well, duh, but besides that?"

"Arts and sciences. All of them. I excelled especially at Biology, but also got great grades in Chemistry and Physics. Took Astrology and Astronomy. And, even though, technically, it's not a science, but a social study, I took Psychology. Then, in the Arts, I took Digital art, Creative art, Visual art, Fine art and Graphic arts."

"Wow. That's a lot to be good at."

"You know what I enjoyed most, though?" Liam shook his head. "Anatomical Sciences. The human body is truly fascinating. I enjoyed finding out the names of each and every single bone in the body, looking up the functions of every organ and muscle. I loved researching diseases, seeing how they could, in different ways, affect and decay their host." Brett's face was shining like the sun. He had a warm smile spread across it, reliving the memories of looking at medical texts and doing copious amounts of research, achieving stellar academic ratings for all of it. "I was going to be a doctor. I loved to help people, and doing so via a subject I loved was...it was a dream come true." His face fell a bit, and he turned to face Liam, looking a bit guilty. "But suppose that doesn't really make you feel any better."

"No, it makes me feel great. Why, if I ever need you to patch me up when I'm sick or injured, I'll know I'm in good hands. Besides, it's good to see you so happy. So, let's get moving then. We're running out of daylight."

"Meet back here in an hour?"

  


"I found a couple of Pharmacies in the nearby area, mostly untouched. Got lots of vitamins, aspirin, braces, just all different stuff. I also went back to the Library. Since we on't have to carry it around, I thought, why not? I got this book on disease, this book-" Liam grunted as he lifted a huge tome, "on nursing, and this book on the treatment of animal bites. And for me, I got just a few fantasy novels."

"These are awesome. If I was allowed to, I would totally kiss you right now."

"Well, I might just let you kiss my cheek." Liam said, cheeky smile on his face.

"Seriously?" He shrugged. "Well not like you've got much competition, so I guess I'll have to take what I can get." He pressed his lips to Liam's cheek quickly. Then, as he pulled away, he kissed him again, this time his temple.

"Hey, I only said one."

"You didn't specify a number." Liam nudged him, smiling.

"Well then, are you ready to accept your punishment?"

"I think so." There was a little bit of apprehension hiding underneath his joking tone. He really didn't know what Liam was capable of, and Stiles had mentioned something about anger issues. Brett had dealt with his fair share of those. The last time he failed to assert his dominance...Brett shivered at the memory.

"Are you actually nervous? If you are, I won't do it. I don't want you to be afraid of me."

"No. I will accept my punishment, Liam. I trust you."

A huge smile spread across Liam's face, and Brett thought that that smile was so worth being punished. "'Kay. Get on your knees then." Brett did as he was told. Liam reached into his pack and brought out a necklace. "Whenever I'd done something wrong, my mum would make me add another bead on the string, and wear it for a week. That's your punishment. We'll use the same system, yeah? Any time I do something you don't like, you put it on me, and any time you do something I don't like, I'll put it on you. You can put it on yourself, if you really want to, but I've never done that. I hate wearing it. It makes me admit that I've done something wrong, something I'm ashamed of."

 _How much has this kid been through? This is...he's so much more mature than I thought. Is he actually only seventeen?_ Brett bowed his head when Liam put the necklace around his neck. "There are a lot of beads on here."

"Yeah." Liam smiled sadly. He opened a clasp at the front, sliding another bead onto the chain. _He's serious about this._

"How many other people know about this?"

"Mum and dad. Mason did. Hayden did, but that's about it."

"Liam...I know I said I trust you, but this...this makes me love and trust you even more. I've done some things that would warrant a full year of wearing this."

Liam looked up into Brett's eyes, lips slightly parted. He moved forward a few centimetres, hovering there. _Just a little more, come on, you can do it._

But then Liam was pulling away, holding his hand out to help Brett to his feet. "When my mum first made me do it, I almost threw a tantrum."

"Almost?" Brett decided that he didn't really like the necklace. It was scratchy and dug into his skin. And if felt heavy. So, so heavy.

"Yeah, she kissed me 'till I laughed, and she held me close. 'I'm making you wear this because I love you. It means that you're not perfect, sure, but it also means that you're enough. You will always be enough for me.' That's what she said. She was...a good mother." Brett rubbed at the back of his neck, shifting the necklace. Liam smiled. "Doesn't feel good, does it?"

"No." Brett admitted, seeing no point in lying.

"If you want, you can take it off now. I just wanted to show you."

"No, I'll wear it for the week. Just...do I wear it while I'm sleeping? Won't it, like, choke me in my sleep or something?"

Liam shrugged. "You wear it how you want to. After the first bead went on, I didn't stop wearing it for nearly two weeks, before mum made me take it off again. I didn't understand that either. Why would she make me put it on, and then demand that I remove it? She explained to me, like she always did, that...she made me take it off because the necklace represented that I'd done something wrong. If I started wearing it out of habit, I would do bad things out of habit, and then she'd have to find a new way of teaching me right from wrong. I was five, so it didn't really sink in then; I just did as I was told. But I never forgot her words. Years later, after I'd done something particularly bad, it finally clicked. That was when the shame came. But..it never stopped me from wearing it. It's a good indicator of when you feel...not worthless, but...truly...remorseful, you know?"

 _I really was wrong about you. You're so gentle. How could I ever be afraid of you?_ "Liam, if you don't stop talking, I'm gonna have to kiss you, whether you'll kill me or not."

"Then let's get on a boat."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, longest chapter yet, guys! Sorry it took so long to post. I encountered writer's block and couldn't write for nearly a whole day! There was a lot to get through, too, so that we could get into Philadelphia. I will also say that I hate maps, and wish they'd all burn.
> 
> The first song here is 'Stay By My Side' by Miracle of Sound. The second is 'Wonderful, Wonderful' by Johnny Mathis. I recommend both books referred to in this chapter. They're both really good books.

"How you doing?" Brett asked Liam, who was tucked into his side in the hold of the yacht. They'd been on the boat for only a day so far, but Brett felt so much better already. He didn't have to worry about zombies biting their heads off, and the currents, for now, were on their side. They'd passed by the Statue of Liberty earlier that day, and Liam had looked at it with a mixture of awe and fear.

_"Do you think it'll fall on us?"_

_"I **know** that it won't fall on us. Its support is of good quality. It'll be decades before it decays enough to be something to worry about. The cast iron beams and copper coating prevent the statue from decaying because, as you would know, cast iron is resistant to deformation and wear. The copper is less durable but, as it decays, it creates a brown-black layer of copper oxide, thereby protecting the inner layers of copper from further erosion. In conclusion, that statue is gonna be standing for a long time."_

Liam had laughed at his knowledge, joking about how he was a science nerd.

"Yeah, I'm doing alright." They were now near Asbury Park, as they'd set out quite late. "How are you?"

"I'm feeling good. Did you want to read? You won't get much of a chance until tomorrow if you don't."

"No, I kinda just wanna...sit with you."

"Okay." Liam sighed happily and put his head on Brett's chest.

After many minutes of silence stretched between them, Liam spoke again. "I like hearing your heartbeat. Lets me know you're alive."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Before all this, my dad, my real dad, was sick in hospital. I'd lie like this with him and say the same thing. Then, one day, when I curled up there...it wasn't beating. It was what I was so afraid of, and it had happened. I don't...know exactly why, but I felt like I'd failed him somehow, like if I'd been there sooner, and heard his heart beating, it would have saved him. I'd just figured out, then, what the necklace meant. It always made him so sad to see me wearing it. But right then, I didn't care. I yelled, and screamed, and punched the walls...I wrecked the room. When I wore the beads that time, it was never about the anger, the outburst. It was always about him."

"So, I suppose, that time, I chose to wear them. When people looked at me in the hallways, they would have this expression of...almost grief. They treated me like a scared animal which, at the time, I guess I was. One girl came up to me and tried to slot herself into my life, telling me that she'd lost her mother. I suppose I should have been grateful for that, but I wasn't. I just wanted to be alone. She didn't understand that, and I didn't understand words, so I punched her in the face." He let out a soft laugh.

"That was my solution for pretty much everything. Got into trouble for it, and mum tried to get me to tell her why, but I never could. She sent me to _everybody_ , trying to get me to say something, anything, but each time she sat me down in front of somebody, my mouth was sewn shut. Every time I tried to tell her, I would remember another one of their 'friendly' faces." He swiped at his eyes.

"You know, I've never told anyone else that. Not mum, not dad, not anybody." He turned to look Brett straight in the eye. "Thanks for letting me talk. I needed that."

Brett continued to say nothing. He pulled Liam down to lie on his chest again. He started to fall asleep, but Liam shifted, jostling him a little. His eyes opened just enough to see Liam hovering over him, face inches away from his own. "I'm serious. Thank you." His face dipped lower, just a little bit, and Brett felt his hopes rise again. He prepared himself for the best kiss of his life, but Liam's lips brushed his forehead. _Not there, Liam. Lower._ He thought desperately.

"You know, hate to ruin the moment and all, but if you keep me sexually frustrated, I might just have to kiss you anyway."

"Not just yet. Don't worry, I'll make it worth it."

"You'd better." He grumbled as Liam tucked himself back into his arms.

"Can you sing me a song? Any one you want. I don't mind."

Brett was quiet for a few moments, thinking about what song fit the current moment. Finally, he settled on one and started singing softly, only loud enough for Liam to hear. _Distant silhouettes, empty horizons,_  
_Sing a still duet, affections tighten._

 _Kindred ribbons spring us from our tethers._  
_Rivers drifting, vivid and together_

 _Stay by my side_  
_Soft songs in harmony._  
_Stay by my side_  
_Companions kind now, you and me._

 _Surf the golden waves on silken highways._  
_Painting flowing braids in sunken byways._

 _Spacious flow embolden ever climbing._  
_Gracious moments hold us intertwining._  


_Stay by my side_  
_Soft songs in harmony._  
_Stay by my side_  
_Companions kind now, you and me._

As his voice tapered off into silence, he could hear Liam's breathing heavy and even. Satisfied that he wouldn't hear him, Brett started to call forth memories of his mother and father, revelling in their warmth and happiness. Just seconds after seeing their faces, he felt tears wet his cheeks, barely missing Liam's soft, warm skin. He set his gaze upon the boy who reminded him so much of everyone he loved, and he started to mourn the loss of every single one.

First was Lydia, the smart little doll who was loved by all. Then, it was his mother, so kind and understanding, always patient and calm. His father was next, the strongest figure he'd ever known as a child, always a comforting, steadying presence, so proud of his children's every movement. Satomi, and her warm smiles and gentle soul. He wasn't sure what had become of her, but he still mourned the years they'd spent apart. He kept going through the list, and was both saddened and comforted by the fact that it was so long. He was eternally grateful for every single one of them.

  


He wasn't sure when it happened, but he fell asleep at some point. When he woke up, Liam had left their cocoon of warm blankets and body heat. he stepped out of the hold and stretched, surprised to find Liam already eating breakfast. It was just after dawn.

"You're up early."

"Didn't really sleep so well. I...you don't have to talk about it, but I heard you crying last night. Was it anything more than memories?"

"No." Brett said shortly. He really didn't want to talk about it, and he was glad that Liam wasn't pushing. He felt a little bit bad for not sharing when Liam was so open and honest, but those wounds were just too raw. "Move over." He nudged Liam with his foot and picked up a soon, ready to dig into whatever Liam had in front of him. It was a can of corn, already empty. Brett didn't mind. He hated the taste of canned corn. He didn't know how Liam managed to stomach it. He reached into their supplies and pulled out something at random; SPAM. Of course it was spam. He didn't fancy this much either, but he opened it and, gagging at the smell, swallowed spoonfuls, trying not to linger too much on the taste.

"So, how far do you think we'll get today?" Liam asked, making a valiant effort to take his mind off of last night. Brett was grateful for the effort, but those thought were pretty forward in his mind right now.

"Don't know. I hope we'll get to the point of New Jersey, at Cape May. If we do get that far, we'll let our anchor down, yeah? It'll be tough going from there, because we'll be going upriver, which means we'll be going against the current."

"Yeah. Okay." Liam bit his lip, not sure how to continue.

"You don't have to try and make me feel better, okay? How about, as I'm steering today, I tell you some sob story about my life, and you can get a little even with me, hmm? How does that sound?"

Liam seemed to perk up a bit. "Sounds great." Brett smiled, thinking about what, exactly, to tell Liam.

  


"When I was twelve, I asked a girl out, and she agreed." Liam turned to him, curious. "It went well, for the first little while, but then she...I don't know really. Something happened, and she...she started to change. Sometimes, she would be her old self, but then she would suddenly change. Sometimes even get violent. Sometimes, though, she'd get really shy, pull away from any contact. Sometimes, she seemed to be five years old. Other times, she...her body language would change completely, and I would think she'd suddenly switched gender. I didn't understand it then, but she had multiple personality disorder. Her uncle had started...tormenting her. It...he started just after her fourteenth birthday. That was the first time someone was hurt because I wasn't...because I didn't protect them, because I didn't show everyone that they were off limits, under my protection. I guess it wouldn't have really done anything, because I was only twelve, and her uncle was twenty something. The age gap didn't matter when I found out what he'd done."

He looked down at his hands, remembering the force of the anger and protectiveness he'd felt in those few moments when his fist had connected with the guy's face. He'd broken his cheek, his jaw, knocked out several teeth and gave him a concussion...and that had been one punch. The other two had broken his ribs - seven of them. He'd broken his own knuckles in the process, but he hadn't cared. He'd only been thinking about protecting Angelica.

"Brett?" Liam's voice called out to him, from the other side of the dark wall of his thoughts. He looked up, seeing that Liam was now standing only a little bit away.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. I understand well enough what happened next. You don't have to say a single word of it."

"Liam...if I ever get like that...run. Don't try to stop me. My...protectiveness of those I care about is...I can't control it, and I care about you." He rested his hand on Liam's cheek. "So, if anything...if anybody tries to hurt you, there's a good chance I'll hurt someone back. Don't get caught up in that. Promise me. Promise me you'll steer clear."

Liam wrapped his arms around Brett's waist. "I promise."

  


They made it to the bottom of New Jersey, and Brett weighed anchor in the mouth of Delaware Bay. He descended into the hold, sinking into the nest of blankets. Liam shifted to give him more room. He had his book open in front of his face, reading in the afternoon sun, let in by the skylight.

"What book have you got?"

"'The Girl With all the Gifts'. Didn't know when I was picking it up, but it's about zombies. It's a good one, though. I've also got this other one, 'the Court of the Air'. No idea what it's about, but it's got some good reviews. I also picked up this one about gardening, but I haven't touched it yet. How about you? How are your books going?"

"Yeah, pretty good. I started reading the one about disease today. Truly fascinating. I already know much of what's there, but there's still some stuff I didn't know. They were a really thoughtful gift, Liam. Thanks. That nursing book must have been heavy. Did you know that it has over two thousand pages?"

"No, I didn't." He shut his book and turned to face Brett. "It was a bitch to carry. I'm glad you like them." He kissed Brett's nose quickly, slightly startling him. "They weren't really a gift; just something to pass the time. I know how boring the apocalypse can be, even with someone to keep you company."

"I like hearing _your_ stories. It lets me know more about you." Liam's eyes flicked down to the necklace still hanging around Brett's neck. "It doesn't have to be about that."

"But that's what ties all of my stories together."

"I want to hear the good ones too."

"Alright." He bit his lip, thinking back on his life. "Once, when my dad was still alive, we went to the beach. We lived in Jefferson City, Missouri, so it was kind of a big deal. I was ten, and I'd never seen so much water in my life. We'd travelled down to New Orleans for the holidays. We'd planned stops along the way, and the entire drive down, I'd ask them, over and over again, 'what does the sea look like?'" He smiled, remembering the trip and his incessant questioning.

"I'd even ask it in French, Japanese and Spanish. My grandmother had taught me French and Spanish, adamant that I'd excel at them. She was right, too. I took Japanese in grade four, and I loved the way it sounded. Anyway, whenever I asked it, they'd describe a different element of it. How it sounded, how the waves rolled and why, what the foam felt like, how it felt to be dunked under the power of a wave, how it tasted, how it smelt, how it sparkled in the sun. They never tired of the question."

"And when I got there, when I first saw it, I was completely overwhelmed by the sight and sound, by the feel and taste, that I just sank to my knees and cried. I wrote about it. I kept a diary of that trip, and A4 binder, and that...that experience had the most. I wrote seven pages, front and back, about how it felt to just stand in the waves, to close your eyes and listen to the ebb and flow of it. I stood there for hours. I was painfully sunburnt the next day, but I didn't care. It was worth it."

"You are so adorable. That's beautiful. I've always lived in Philadelphia, and I've never been anywhere else. I did, once, visit Lancaster, for a game of lacrosse, but I didn't really have much time to look around.

"Tell me one of yours."

"So, let's see...one Christmas, I was with my mum and sister, because dad had to go away for business, and it was the Christmas mum and I had teamed up to get Lori the best present ever. She'd constantly talked about wanting to go and see a concert for this particular band, but we could never really afford to let her go. I'd saved money from work for months, and I finally had enough. Mum had said that if I got within a hundred dollars of a ticket, she'd give me the extra, and we'd buy it for her."

He frowned, trying to remember the name. "The band was...I think...no, wait, it wasn't a band. It was an orchestra. She wanted to see the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Yeah, that's right. They were coming around on tour, and they were going to perform in Pittsburgh. We said that if she could afford the ticket to and from there, she could go. In truth, if she hadn't been able to, we had enough to pay for her to go, but she had enough. So, the next day, she left us and travelled there. She absolutely loved it and called us as soon as it had finished, telling us how awesome it was." He chuckled lightly.

"When she came back, we received the biggest hug ever from her, and she wouldn't stop talking. At some point, the emotions just overflowed, and she started crying. She said it was because she'd missed us, but we both knew that she was just so happy. That was the best present for us; seeing her happy like that. She didn't get that happy so often, so we really loved it. We told dad about it, and he was rather upset that he hadn't been able to see it. Lori tried to replicate the emotion, but it wasn't quite the same."

"She sounds like a great sister. And you're a good brother too, for thinking of her like that." Liam smiled up at Brett, and Brett felt his heart squeeze in his chest at that.

"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, we should get to sleep. Big day tomorrow."

Liam rolled over again, letting Brett snake his arm around his waist. He started to sing, and Brett basked in his beautiful, steady voice.

 _Sometimes we walk, hand in hand by the sea_  
_And we breathe in the cool salty air._  
_You turn to me with a kiss in your eyes,_  
_And my heart feels a thrill beyond compare._  
_Then your lips cling to mine; it's wonderful, wonderful_  
_Oh, so wonderful, my love._

 _Sometimes we stand, on the top of a hill_ _And we gaze at the Earth and the sky._  
_I turn to you, and you melt in my arms_  
_There we are, darling, only you and I._  
_What a moment to share, it's wonderful, wonderful,_  
_Oh, so wonderful, my love_

 _The world is full of wondrous things, it's true;_  
_But they wouldn't have much meaning without you._

Some quiet evening, I sit by your side,  
_And we're lost in a world of our own._  
_I feel the glow of your unspoken love._  
_I'm aware of the treasure that I hold._  
_And I say to myself 'it's wonderful, wonderful_  
_Oh, so wonderful, my love.'_

 _And I say to myself 'it's wonderful, wonderful_  
_Oh, so wonderful, my love.'_

Brett didn't sing along. He just listened. He enjoyed Liam's voice. It was soft, but firm. Crisp, enunciating each syllable with practised ease. Brett didn't feel himself drifting off but when he sank into his dreams, they were unfamiliar and comforting where they were usually all too real and nightmarish.

  


Brett woke feeling well-rested. Once again, Liam had already left their cocoon of warmth, opting instead for the open, fresh air that the sea provided. It made a lot more sense now that Brett knew about his trip down to New Orleans. Liam looked up and smiled at him. "I put the cans of spam to the side. I thought, today, we could have spaghetti. Sound good?"

"That sounds great. Thanks honey. You're such a good wife." He said with a wink and a kiss on the cheek.

"And you're a great husband. Although, I have to say that your sex is below average." Brett shot him a look and Liam laughed.

"Oh, you think that's funny, do you? I'll show you what's below average." He lunged at Liam, tackling him to the deck of the boat, smiling and laughing. He pinned Liam's legs with his own, laying his lower half over Liam's stomach and tangling their appendages together. With one hand, he pinned Liam's above his head. "Got ya." He smiled. Liam relented and stopped struggling. He gave Brett a small smile.

"Please let me kiss you now?" Brett asked in desperation. Liam shook his head resolutely. Brett sighed and released his captive. "When _are_ you going to kiss me? After you do, do I get to kiss you whenever I want?"

"Be patient, and yes. But...I haven't actually had my first kiss yet, despite my earlier eagerness for it, so I want it to be on my own terms, yeah?"

"Okay." Brett said simply. He could understand that.

Liam looked at him curiously. "What, no 'you're seventeen and you still haven't had your first kiss yet'?" Brett shook his head. "Wow. Thanks. No, really, people usually give me shit for it, but...I just wasn't ready for it, you know?"

"I know. I mean, I had a girlfriend for two years, and in all that time, she only kissed me twice. She said that she didn't want to kiss me unless she really loved me, in that moment. There were so many times when I wanted to. She was an adorable little thing. So tiny. But I wouldn't do something she didn't want me to do."

Liam was quiet for a while, picking himself up off the deck and brushing himself off. "I usually did what I was told, you know, but there was this one time when I really didn't want to."

Brett settled himself in for another story. He sensed that this one was expertly placed so that Brett would be listening intently. This was an important one. He could feel it. Liam came over and touched one of the beads idly, letting his fingers brush gently against Brett's chest.

"I really wanted to go out with this girl, and she'd said yes when I asked her, told me she knew some people who could get us somewhere we shouldn't be. I told mum, because I told her everything, and she said that she didn't want me to go. I was angry, and I didn't understand why she wasn't letting me. I was old enough -fourteen- and the girl I was going with was nice enough. She'd said that the people getting us in were her friends...I didn't see any problems. I was so angry that I went up to my room and got the beads and brought them down with me with the intention of putting them around her neck. To my surprise, she let me. She even knelt down a bit so I could reach." Liam slipped his arms around Brett's neck, standing on his tip-toes.

"When I'd done it, I felt wrong, but I left them there. She didn't explain why she'd let me, and I didn't ask. I obeyed her, though, because, deep down, I trusted her judgement. Just as well I did, too. I thought, because I'd cancelled, that the girl would just stay home, but she didn't. She said I was a pussy and a momma's boy, but it didn't move me. She went anyway, and the next day, we were told that she'd been drugged, raped and murdered." He swallowed heavily.

"I didn't wait for school to finish, I didn't grab my books or my bag, I just left everything and ran home. Thankfully, mum was there. She'd known something like that would happen and had taken a day off work. She didn't hug me, didn't do anything to stop my crying, but I didn't want her to. She was sitting on the couch, and I went to her instantly, taking the necklace off her. Once it was gone, I sat on the floor at her feet and cried into her knees, until all of my tears were gone. Then, after I'd calmed down a bit, she lifted my face and asked me 'why did you take it off?'"

"I still wasn't good with words, but they just...I knew what I wanted to say. 'Because you were right. I...I should have listened to you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.'" Liam turned his face into Brett's neck, his face red and wet with tears.

"That...what happened, it really scared me, and I'm really grateful my mum made me stay. She didn't even hesitate when she put the beads on. I was grateful for that too. I wouldn't have asked, or put them on myself, but I needed them. Every time I thought about her, about how she was gone, I would look down and see the necklace. Some of the guilt went, and it would all become bearable."

"Sometimes, I still think about her, about how she died alone and scared. I still feel kind of guilty about it, you know? I feel like, if I'd just told someone, then she would have been okay. Mum, when I took the necklace off her, told me that she forgave me for putting it on, but that she wanted me to obey her, even if I didn't agree with her. She said that if I didn't agree, I could ask her why she wanted me to do something, and that she'd explain it to me. She said that that was how you built trust, and that she wanted me to trust her."

Liam pulled back and looked directly into Brett's eyes. "If I tell you to do something, I might not have the time to tell you why I want you to do it, but you'll do it, right? Because you trust me? And if...if you have a question about why, you can always ask me later."

"I will ask you, and I will do what you tell me to without hesitation, because I do trust you." Brett said seriously.

The biggest smile Brett had ever seen spread across Liam's face, and Brett thought _finally, please, let it be now._ But again, he was to be disappointed. Liam gasped. "You know, I just thought, there's something we haven't done yet!"

 _Kiss?_ "What?"

"Bad recreations of movie scenes." He darted off to the bow. "Come on, Jack!"

"Jack? Oh no. Titanic, really?"

Liam was already standing at the front-most point. "Hold me, Jack, I think I'm sprouting wings!"

Brett stepped up behind Liam and wrapped his arms around his waist. "Are you flying yet, Rose?"

"No." Brett frowned.

"Why not?"

"Because you haven't kissed me yet." He turned in Brett's grasp and put his hands on either side of his face. He slowly leaned forward, closing his eyes. One hand slipped around to rest at the back of his neck, and then, finally, their lips were touching. Brett felt amazing. This was totally worth the wait. Liam pushed further, letting his arms slip around Brett's neck.

"Well, I told you I'd make the wait worth your while. How was that?"

"Absolutely perfect." Brett kissed him again and again, sometimes quickly and then darting away, sometimes lingering longer, sometimes pushing deeper, licking into his mouth.

  


Liam was underneath Brett, kissing him lazily. "You should get us moving. We can't stay here forever."

"Five more minutes." Brett said, pressing their lips together lightly.

"Mmhm...and what about the five minutes after that?"

"Yeah, I want those too. I want every five minutes you've got."

Liam laughed, pushing slightly against Brett's shoulder. "I know, I want to stay here too, but we need to get up to Philadelphia and find your sister. You can't be entirely selfish. Besides, we'll have plenty of time for this later."

  


When Brett poked his head into the yacht's hold, he was surprised to find that Liam wasn't there. He looked around the boat, but he couldn't find him anywhere. They were anchored in the mouth of the Christina River, just below Wilmington, so there was no danger of Liam being swept away. The currents here were not so strong, so if Liam had fallen in, he couldn't have gone too far away. "Liam?" He called softly.

"I'm here." Brett poked his head over the side. "You should join me. The water's not entirely clean, and it's freezing, but we're both starting to really stink up the place. It gets nicer the longer you're in here."

"You could also get hypothermia."

"I'm fine."

"Pneumonia." Brett tried, sensing that he probably wasn't going to win this one.

"Brett..."

"Maybe even cholera if you swallow any of it."

"Brett! Shut up and get in. Leave your clothes in the bucket with mine. We'll hang them out to dry tomorrow."

"I don't have a change of clothes."

Liam shrugged. "Neither do I."

"So, you're suggesting that we sleep naked together and then walk around without clothes tomorrow? We're definitely going to get hypothermia."

"I thought you would have liked that plan. Besides, it's not like there's anyone else to see us. And we won't get hypothermia. The water's not _that_ cold."

Brett sighed, knowing that arguing any more was a waste of breath. He took off his clothes and put them in the bucket that Liam had indicated. He shivered a little in the cold night air. "We should have done this during the day." He stuttered through chattering teeth.

"We'll be fine." Liam said, waiting at the bottom of the rungs for Brett. Once Brett had completely submerged himself in the water, Liam pressed him up against the boat, holding himself up using the rungs. "Feels good, right?"

"No. It's freezing."

"I did warn you, but I'm sure we can work on the temperature." He said, kissing Brett.

"You sometimes have the best ideas wrapped in the worst ones, you know that?"

"Mmhm."

"How long have you been out here?" Brett asked, still concerned about Liam's core temperature sinking into the bad range.

"About fifteen minutes. And I feel fine, if that's your next question. No fluid building up in this guy's lungs."

Brett raised his eyebrows. "I'm surprised that you know what pneumonia is."

"My dad got it every winter. That was...kind of why he died. I mean, it was part of it. He also had a node of cancer forming on his lung, and the space lost from removing it meant that his left lung was basically drowning. His right did a good job of trying to clear his body, but it wasn't enough."

"I...sorry, I didn't-" He was cut off by Liam pressing their lips together again.

"Don't worry about it. Believe it or not, that's not actually the worst thing that's happened to me. I won't go into detail, but I wasn't always an only child."

"What took them away?" Brett asked softly, aware that it would be painful to talk about. He couldn't even begin to imagine life without Lori. This was the only question he'd ask about it.

"Miscarriage. I never even got to meet them." His voice was quiet. Brett kissed him again.

"Do you think we're clean yet?" Brett asked gently. Liam nodded and Brett climbed back out of the water, shivering as his skin came in contact with the night air again. He went and got one of their blankets so that they could dry off. When he came back, Liam was out, hugging himself and shivering. Brett gave him the blanket, having already dried himself a little.

"Thanks."

Liam quickly towelled himself off and handed it back to Brett. Brett took the time to admire Liam's small frame. His arms were short but powerful, with bulging muscles. His legs were much the same; compressed muscle and strength, like the rest of him. Liam's chest was just as well-toned, as was his abdomen. His skin, now that it was clean, was smooth and white. Brett smiled.

"How's your foot?" The question caught Brett off guard.

"What?"

"Your foot. It was stabbed, remember?" Liam said with a smile.

Brett looked down. It was already mostly healed over, and it brought him no pain any more. "Well, when we got back, I took some pain killers - they were pretty hardcore drugs, and I haven't really had to worry about it since. How are you doing? About Scott?"

Liam shrugged. "He'll meet us there, I guess..." He didn't sound convinced.

"Well, don't worry about it. He'll either show up, or he won't. There's nothing you can do about it either way. Tonight, I just want you to worry about what's right..." Brett kissed him quickly, "in front of you."

"I think I can deal with that." Liam said with a small smile, leading him into the hold. They sank into the nest of blankets. "Hang on..." Liam scooted back into the corner and lay on his side, propping his head up on one hand and draping the other arm across his stomach. "Draw me like one of your French girls."

"You're such a dork...but what French girls, baby? You're the only girl for me, the only one I can see. In fact, you're the only _person_ I can see, girl or not. So, don't you think I deserve a little attention?"

"I don't know. Have you been a good boy?"

"I think so, but I guess that's your call." He laid back on the mattress, letting Liam climb on top of him. He let his head fall to the side, smiling. Liam kissed up his neck. "I'll take that as a yes."

"You know I'm still a virgin, right?"

"I figured, seeing as you only had your first kiss today. But I won't have sex with you tonight. That's not what I want. I just want you...and all your kisses."

  


  


**Liam's POV**

  


  


It took them another day to get into the Philadelphia Navy Yard, and it was already night time by that point. They stayed the night on the yacht, spending their entire time kissing before falling asleep.

They woke early the next morning and dressed in their clean, dry clothes. They were a bit frosty, but they thawed out quickly on their bodies, leaving them a little wet, but still warmer than without them. They'd worn blankets the previous day to keep warm, huddling together as the yacht cut through the current.

  


"I'm excited to see your home town. I've never been to Philadelphia. I was up in Danbury, Connecticut when this all happened. We were all travelling to Manhattan because there were supposed to be people helping out there, but everything was just as bad, if not worse. How about you? How'd you end up with that prick Theo and the girls?"

"Well, as I said before, I went to Lancaster for a game of lacrosse. Lydia had come with me, because I was her best friend, and she was dating the captain of our team, this big jock called Jackson. Anyway, Malia and Theo were there too, on the opposing team. Well, Theo was. When everything went down, our teams kept together, but we all started fighting in amongst ourselves, and then...zombies heard us arguing and came to finish the job. We took a car that we'd hooked up, because there were only a few of us left. A guy named Isaac, who was on my team, Jackson, Lydia, Malia, this guy named Corey and, of course, Theo and I. It was cramped, but we shared...pretty alright, considering. Corey had lost his boyfriend in the mess, and he was pretty distressed. I tried to calm him down, but it was Lydia who eventually did that."

Brett was quiet for a little while, a smile on his face. "Anyway, Isaac was a really tall guy, like me. He tried to act tough, but he was really just a big teddy bear. We slept together a lot, just for someone to hold onto. I wasn't going to put up a front, pretend that I was straight, and Isaac didn't really care. He told me about his dad, who'd beat him regularly, said that that was why he was abrasive to others. I didn't really mind. I just liked having someone to snuggle up to. He got sick...not long after we set out. It was a shame. If...if he'd stayed okay, we would have totally hooked up, even if he was straight. He was a gentle guy. Didn't deserve..."

Liam felt a stab of jealousy, but then reprimanded himself. Was he, himself, not also in love with someone else? After a bit of silence, Brett started talking again. "Corey had come up from Philadelphia too, and he wanted to go back there. Theo said he had relatives in Manhattan. We dropped Corey in Willow Grove, along with Isaac, who was pretty much dead on his feet. He was coughing up... Jackson got the same thing, took himself out one day and just...we heard the gunshot. We were almost at Edison then. None of us were fit to drive. I had never had the money to get my driver's licence, Theo'd never bothered, Malia was...she had her learner's but she'd never progressed further because she never learnt how to control a car. She could never relax enough. Even if I had been able to drive, I don't think I could have at that point in time."

"Jackson might have been a bit of a dick, but he'd still been my friend, and losing Isaac was still a raw subject. Lydia was a wreck, so we all just...left the car and walked. The whole way there, we were amazingly lucky. We never encountered any zombies, and Lydia had, miraculously, managed to not see any zombies as of then. We found the place in Manhattan, went out looking for Theo's family, but they'd up and gone. He had no idea where they could have gone, so we stayed there. Then, you came, and blew me away with your stunning good looks. The rest is, as they say, history." Liam smiled a little at the saying. They were passing by a warehouse, and Liam spied a few milk crates. An idea started forming in his mind.

"Hey Brett! Come over here for a second!" Liam had overturned one of the crates and had stood on it. Judging it to be the right height, he'd called out to Brett, pulling some stupid pose.

Brett poked his head around the corner, laughing at Liam's pose. "What are you doing?"

"Training to be a model." He pushed his body into another pose. "What do you think?"

"You are the best looking model I've seen since the apocalypse started."

Liam laughed, punching Brett's shoulder lightly. "Well, I bet no model has ever offered you a kiss before."

"Is that why you wanted me over here? I just thought you were showing off so I could 'draw you like one of my French girls'."

"Nah, I don't think I'd like to be compared to your French girls. I'm way out of their league. But yes, I'm offering you a kiss. I'm even the same height as you. Oh, but if we do kiss, you have to promise to get me drunk. At some point, when we find a bar or something, you're gonna take me out on the town, get me wasted, and kiss me senseless, deal?"

"No drunk sex?" Brett asked with a fake pout.

"No drunk sex." Liam said in what he hoped was a stern voice.

"Yes, ma'am. Deal." Liam smiled even wider and put his arms over Brett's shoulders.

"Then, my prince, seal the deal with a kiss, and I'll turn into a beautiful princess once again. We can ride off into the sunset on your noble steed and get married in London. We'll have so many children and-" Liam was silenced by Brett's lips on his own.

"Look out!" A girl's voice called from somewhere in the distance. Brett swung around and took out a zombie approaching quickly from the behind. Liam froze in shock. _I probably called that here. It was stupid to raise my voice. We're in a zombie apocalypse. I have to think like it._ "That was the only one." A little girl stepped out of the shadows. She was blonde and had bright blue eyes.

"Lori?" Brett stepped towards her, peering at her face. "Lori! Oh, it's you! It's so good to see you!" He rushed forward and put his hands under her armpits, lifting her up so that she could wrap her arms around his neck. Once she was sufficiently strapped on, he wrapped his arms around her middle and spun in a circle. _That's his sister? She looks adorable. Seems energetic, too._

Brett put Lori down. "Lori, this is my boyfriend Liam." Liam stepped off the milk crate and was immediately caught in a crushing embrace, arms locked at his side.

"Hello." He said, slightly breathless.

"Hi. I'm Lori. It's good that Brett's got a boyfriend. You'd better treat him right." SHe pointed her finger in Liam's face before whirling around and facing Brett again.

"Anyway, we've got a place with Satomi. She'd taken control of one of the warehouses around here. We've got lots of people. I hope you have lots of food, because we're running kinda low. I've missed you so much! Your boyfriend's cute. Where's he from? Where are his friends? Where's Lydia and Jackson? What happened at the lacrosse game? Did you see anyone you knew on your way here? Why did it take so long for you to get here? How did you meet Liam?" The barrage of questions came too quickly for either of them to answer. Not that Brett tried. He just walked quietly and smiled as his ear was talked off by this little ball of energy. She clung to Brett's arm like a worried mother, and Liam felt himself start to get happy, just looking at her.

They got back to Satomi's warehouse without running into any trouble, Lori slipping amongst their defences with practised ease. Brett followed her movements, doing surprisingly well despite his height. He had amazing flexibility. Liam blushed a little as he imagined what else that flexibility could be used for. Lori opened the door and both Liam and Brett were blown away by the hive-like interior. The walls were lined with scaffolding, each part with three floors, all connected to each other. There were some doors installed for privacy along the back, which stayed mostly closed. Liam assumed that they were areas used for sleeping.

The next thing that drew their attention was the bottom corner on their left stacked high with food. Then, on their right, was a tap, most likely attached to some water tanks outside. There was an infirmary on the top floor, stocked full of medicines. Brett and Liam were taken up two flights of stairs, and led into an office. A weathered woman stood as they entered.

"Brett. It is good to see you again."

"And you, Satomi. How are you?" Brett stepped forward and embraced her, briefly brushing his lips against her temple.

"I am well. Your arrival is a surprise, especially with this friend of yours. Tell me your name, young man."

"Liam. Liam Dunbar. And...uh...I'm sorry for asking but what is Brett to you?" Liam felt awkward in her presence, like he wasn't even worthy of her attentions.

Satomi smiled warmly, making him feel a little bit less like an intruder and more like a guest. "I am his adoptive mother, along with Lori's. When their mother and father died, I took them in. They were my friends." She looked at Brett again. "You look well. How has your journey been?"

Brett, without hesitation, sat in front of Satomi and told her everything, leaving out no detail, recounting with precision and grace. The whole thing took an extremely long time, but Liam was so captivated that he did not fall asleep. "And what of you? What is your story?"

Liam looked up, surprised. He hadn't expected this. He looked at Brett for affirmation, a sign that this woman could be trusted. Brett smiled and nodded. Liam suddenly realised that whenever Brett came to a part about Liam's life, a story he'd told, he said just that. 'Liam told me a story when he gave me the necklace. Liam told me a story the first and second nights.' Liam was slightly confused at first by this, because of the overwhelming detail he'd given about other events and conversations.

 _It's because you're here, sitting with him, and because he knows that you trusted him with that information. He doesn't want to betray that trust._ Reassured, Liam sat like Brett, next to him, and told her everything, just like Brett had. Some events he was unable to recount in such vivid detail, but he thought he got his point across well. Once he had finished, he felt unnervingly light, like he'd just given Satomi a piece of his suffering. Satomi smiled and told him to stand. It was an interesting sort of tone she used. It was kind and gentle, but firm and demanding, asking for complete and unquestioning obedience.

"I am glad that you found us, and I hope that your friends are okay. We sent a scouting party up into Manhattan a few days ago. They should be back in a couple of days. Wait for their return; your friends might be with them. When they come back, are you planning on staying longer?"

"I think that depends on what Liam, Lori, Scott and Malia think."

"I'd want to stay, and I think Scott would too. This place is amazing, and it's good to just stay in one place for a while, you know?"

"I'll go wherever you do." Lori said. Liam had been surprised that she'd actually sat still the entire time they were talking.

"Um...I...my throat's quite dry. May I...get some water?"

"Of course. Lori will lead you on a tour and show you where everything is."

"Thank you, Satomi." Brett said with a small bow, embracing and kissing her again. He pushed Liam forward a bit, and he awkwardly hugged Satomi before backing away.

"Thanks." He mumbled. He followed Brett and Lori out of her office.

"So, what do you think?"

"She's...quite the leader, isn't she? I...when I told her what had happened, I...I felt, I don't know..."

"Lighter?" Brett suggested. Liam nodded. "That's how it always feels. She...her presence has that effect. It's the same for both of us." He gestured to Lori. "We're really lucky to have her."

"She's great. Shame you didn't get to meet my parents."

"I'll get the chance one day."

Lori opened a door and led them into a room littered with mattresses and blankets. "This is where you two will be sleeping. I'm in the next room over. There are others sleeping here too, but they're busy now. I don't know much about them. They came here about a year ago, just after this all happened." She closed the door and led them to the dining space. "Everyone eats here at sundown. We usually have someone performing every night, but we've been running low on volunteers." She looked expectantly at Brett and Liam when she said this.

"No. No way." He was a little too late, because Brett had already written 'Lori, Liam and Brett (singing)' on the roster.

"Sorry, it's written in stone now. We're only down for one performance. Besides, your voice is amazing. You'd really set off Lori's voice."

"Fine, just one though, right?"

"Right." Brett said, although Liam didn't really believe him.

"This is the water station. Feel free to get a cup any time you like. Reuse the cups and, if you need to, rinse it when you're done. Sometimes they get a bit grimy. You've already seen where the infirmary is. Now, do you have any food or water in your backpacks? Anything that might be useful, anything that might pass the time? You keep your personal stuff, but the rest, we share."

"Yeah. I've got the medical texts that Liam got me, and we've got more stuff on the boat. We can go out tomorrow and get them, if you want."

"That'd be great. Yeah. Anyway, Brett, you'll probably be stationed to work in the infirmary. Liam, you'll probably be put in the gardens. So, Liam, I'll leave you with Noshiko. She's the head of the gardens. Anything you need to know, she'll tell you." Lori waved over an older woman with straight black hair and a hardened expression. "I'll take Brett up to the infirmary to get him started under Dr. Deaton."

Brett didn't leave with his sister immediately, but lingered a little, kissing Liam quickly. "I'll see you later, okay? Have fun out there, yeah? Don't get tetanus."

"I won't. Stay healthy!" Brett laughed as he walked away.

A voice from behind Liam startled him. "What is your name?" He turned to look at the woman. She looked like a mother, but you could never quite tell. Her skin was almost flawless, despite the obvious weathering her face had endured. Her voice wasn't unkind, but it held a kind of stony command.

"Liam."

"Well, Liam, how much do you know about agriculture?"

  


Liam collapsed into his bed, utterly exhausted. He'd spent most of the day weeding the garden beds, but he'd also spent the last hour heaving around big jugs of water so that he could water the plants. 'Tomatoes and carrots in bed one, lettuce and cabbage in bed two, potatoes and corn in bed three, onions and cauliflower in bed four, broccoli and cucumber in bed five, beetroot and kumera in bed six, apples, oranges and peaches in box one, apricots, pears and cherries in box two, plums, nectarines and almonds in box three and finally, all the citrus apart from oranges in box four.'

Simple enough system, and easy to remember. Then, they had a paddock out the back, coated in grass, filled with three heifers. There was also a bull in another paddock, and they let him breed with one of the heifers, as she was of breeding age. The other heifers were of ten months as of now, and so would be bred when the coming winter had passed. They also had chickens, which they fed scraps from the kitchen. There were search parties on the lookout for pigs, but they were a rare find and slaughtered almost immediately; they took up too much room and food to breed. Liam's head kept spinning with the details of the gardens and animals until the door opened.

Liam turned, expecting to see Brett, but instead found himself looking at a shorter male, all over brown, kind of like Scott. He had soft, brown eyes, long, fluttering eyelashes, dark brown hair and tan skin. _Cute,_ Liam thought, before standing and introducing himself.

"Oh yeah, you arrived today with that other guy, right? Anyway, my name's Corey. Nice to meet you." He extended his hand, and Liam shook it. "Just so I know, what's your relationship with the guy who came in with you? Are you just friends or-"

"He's my boyfriend." Brett said from the doorway. He came over and stood protectively in front of Liam, before realising who he was talking to. "Corey?"

"Brett?" They embraced. "It's so good to see you again. Isaac will be glad to see you."

"Isaac's alive?" Liam felt that twist of jealousy again. _He probably looks better than me. He's even the same height as Brett. He said so himself. Even if he is straight, he'd probably still like Brett. Who wouldn't?_ Liam felt himself shrink back into the corner of the room. Brett, to his dismay, noticed. "Liam? What are you-"

"Brett?" Another voice sounded from beyond the doorway. "Hey! Good to see you again. Where are the others?"

Brett made no move to initiate contact with the next male. "Hey, Isaac. Good to see you too. The others...well, only Malia made it, but she's injured, coming down with my boyfriend's friend soon. How are you guys going? Did you find anyone else to snuggle up to at night?" He asked with a smile.

Isaac seemed to understand what the lack of contact meant, even though he didn't look happy about it. His face fell considerably when Brett mentioned his boyfriend, and Liam felt another stab of jealousy. _What relationship did these guys have?_

"Yeah, I found someone." Corey's eyes darted to Isaac, seemingly caught off guard. He didn't say anything though. "I've got this girl, Hannah hanging onto my every word, man. She's totally hooked."

Liam crept closer to the doorway, ready to make a run for it if Brett decided he wasn't good enough for him any more. He was surprised when Corey grabbed Isaac's hand and led him out the door. He was close enough to hear their whispered conversation. "What are you doing? You don't like Hannah. She's been harassing you for forever, and you keep brushing her off."

"Yeah, but Brett and his boyfriend don't know that, do they?" Isaac said the word boyfriend with enough venom for Liam to feel its sting, even from the other side of the wall.

"You're trying to make him jealous, aren't you? Well, I don't think it's going to work very well. He was very clear about their status to me. Liam is off limits. I'm guessing that goes for Brett too." _You're damn right it does._ Liam slunk back to Brett's side startling him a little bit.

"Where did you go?"

"Oh, just scouting out the competition."

Brett gave him a strange look that Liam couldn't decipher. He didn't get the time to ask, because Isaac and Corey re-entered the room.

"Oh, is this your boyfriend?" Isaac stepped up to shake hands with him.

"Yeah. My name's Liam." Isaac gripped his hand hard, and Liam squeezed back just as hard, if not harder. Isaac tightened his grip, and Liam felt himself lose all feeling in his fingers.

"Good to meet you, Liam. I'm Isaac."

"Good to meet you, too." Isaac held his hand in his crushing grip for a few more seconds before letting go. He turned on his heel and stalked out of the room, calling over his shoulder that he was going to find Hannah.

After he'd left, Brett looked curiously at Liam, holding his hand between his fingers. "What was all that about? Are you hurt?"

"I'll be fine. And he wants to make you jealous." Liam tried to make his voice sound a little less sour than fresh lemons, but he could tell that it didn't work.

"Are _you_ jealous?"

"Yes. Of course I am jealous, Brett. You basically told me that this guy was your teddy bear for a few weeks, and might have been your fuck buddy. I'm jealous of that. I'm jealous because he's tall and handsome and-"

Brett kissed him fiercely. "And I love you more than I ever loved him. You don't have to worry about it. I'm not gonna leave you, especially not after you told me all of those things about you, your past. I'm not gonna forget that easily."

Just then, Isaac walked in with a little Asian girl wrapped around his arm. She was looking up at him in adoration, smiling like a maniac. "So, how was your day today?" Isaac shot Liam a look, and then Brett. Liam could decipher neither of them, but decided it didn't really matter.

"Yeah, it was alright. How was yours?" They sat down on what Liam assumed to be Isaac's mattress.

"Yeah, great. We had so much fun making lunch today. The big stew was filled with so many fresh vegetables from the gardens today. It's so refreshing to actually cut something rather than to just open a can." She glanced curiously at Liam and Brett, then flicked her gaze to Isaac. Liam could see the moment it clicked. She scowled at Brett and practically lunged at Isaac, pushing him to the mattress and kissing him. "But enough chatter; I want to occupy our time with something else."

Isaac looked pained for a second before kissing her again. He looked completely grossed out. _Well, he's definitely not straight._

"Hey, up, I need to take a piss, okay?" Hanna grudgingly let Isaac go. As soon as he'd left, she whipped around to face Brett.

"Don't steal my boyfriend."

"Wasn't planning on it. You see, it would actually be great if you could keep him away from me. This," he pointed at Liam, "is _my_ boyfriend, Liam. And yes, Isaac and I have history, but I've moved on. So, knock yourself out."

"Uh, she might have a bit of trouble with that."

"Why?" Both Brett and Hannah asked at the same time.

"I don't know what Isaac told you, but he's _not_ straight. No way. Did you see how pained he looked at even the _thought_ of kissing her? I'm surprised he didn't throw up. I mean, it could just be you, but I doubt it. You seem like a nice enough person."

"Gee, thanks." She sat down on Isaac's mattress with a huff. Liam sighed and sat down next to her.

"I didn't mean it in a mean way, you know? I just...if you keep going after him, if I hadn't told you...he would have led you on, and you would have had your heart broken."

"No."

"What do you mean, 'no'?"

"I'll prove to you he's straight. He'll have sex with me tonight, and then you'll see. He's straight, even if it's only for me."

Liam struggled with the strong desire to answer her. He thought of when he'd kissed a girl, when she'd forced herself on him, and cringed a little. He wanted to say that forcing herself on him wasn't the best idea, but he knew she wouldn't listen. She _did_ seem nice, but she was a stubborn one, that was for sure. "Fine. Good luck." Liam snapped and left. He ran into Isaac.

"Hey, kid, watch where you're going." Then, he realised who it was. "Oh, you're just trying to get on my nerves, aren't you? Well, I can get on yours too." Isaac didn't elaborate, but pushed past him, almost toppling Liam over, but Brett caught him.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly. Liam nodded. "He's going to be a hell of a lot of trouble."

"Tell me about it. Do you think we could get a room change?"

"I doubt it. I had to share a room with Lori before I learned to get along with her. It's how Satomi works. She makes you work it out in your own time."

"Oh God. Can we just get to sleep? I'm tired."

"Okay." Brett led Liam into their room and sank into their mattress, holding up the covers for Liam to slink under too. Once they were warm, Liam burrowed into Brett's side, sighing at the comfortable feeling. He loved the way all of the exhaustion from the day seeped out of him. He forgot everything that had been troubling him, and fell asleep safe and happy.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sex scene in this chapter was inspired by one of the sex scenes in 'Threads' by red_to_black. Praise the universe for this wonderful writer and Briam! I needed to fix the tense errors, so sorry about that.

Brett woke to a pressure on his chest. "Come on, Brett! It's time to go!" He tried to roll over, but Lori was sitting firmly on his chest.

"Well, I won't be able to do anything if you don't get off my chest." Brett laughed, breathless because Lori was crushing his lungs.

"At least you're awake now." She grumbled and shifted her weight. Brett finally opened his eyes, feeling happy when he saw her smiling face. "We've all already had breakfast, so you'll just have to go without. Liam told me you parked at the Navy Yard. We'll have to move it up the Delaware River to the marina at Neshaminy Creek. It's closer to where we are now, so it'll be easier to move the stuff, yeah?"

"Okay. You should stay on the boat while Liam and I take the first round of stuff back. You still know how to steer, right?"

"Yep. Will you guys be alright carrying stuff? It'll take six and a half hours for you to get back to the warehouse, and you'll be loaded with stuff. I could arrange bikes, maybe. That would still be more than two hours. It'll be better if we all just stay on the boat together."

"Lori's right, Brett. We'll be safer, and it'll mean we can relax for a bit. Let's not get ourselves into trouble just after we've got here, yeah?"

"Alright. Let's get going then."

  


"The yacht is just up here. We should set out as soon as we get on board. We can set up sleeping arrangements and stuff when we get going." It was only a few minutes before they were all settled on the boat. "Lori, can you go into the hold with Liam and check out that everything's still there?"

"Okay." She bounded off, taking Liam with her. She popped her head out a few seconds later. "Liam says everything's still here!"

"Okay. Stores next. Liam?"

"On it." He looked in the stores of the yacht. "Looks untouched. We were lucky. Lori, come look at what we've got!" Lori came over. "How long do you think that'll last you guys?"

"Barely one meal, but we've got a lot of people. Almost seventy. This would last just us three about...I don't know...a month? I don't work in the food stores, though. I work in the gardens with Liam."

"So, sleeping arrangements. How are they gonna work?"

"If you guys want to have sex, that's cool, but let me know first."

"What?" Both Brett and Liam said simultaneously. "Don't say things like that! We're _not_ going to-"

"Why not? I mean, we did have our first kiss here." Liam shrugged.

Brett shot him a look. He'd expected Liam to back him up, not side with his sister. This was completely ridiculous. "Not while my sister's on the boat."

"I can stay on deck. Actually, why don't you go down now? I'll steer the boat, and you two can have a great time." She nudged Brett's shoulder.

"No." Brett said firmly. He was horrified at the thought that his sister wanted him to go and have sex while she was literally metres away.

Brett was surprised when he felt Liam tug at his arm. "Remember what I said about a lady having her mind set? Lori has her mind set, Brett, and there won't be any budging her. Come on."

Brett allowed himself to be pulled into the hold. "I don't think we should-"

"Don't worry about it. I want this. Do you?"

"Of course I want to have sex with you, but I don't think that we should do it right now."

"Then finger me. Whatever. Brett, I am horny. Like, amazingly so. I haven't had sex, ever, and I'm being offered sex with the hottest guy I've ever met, who just happens to be gay, by his younger sister. I am _so_ turned on right now, and even if we don't go all the way, I really want you to touch me."

"Okay. Fine. What do you want me to do?" Brett was shocked when Liam became shy. _Did he really expect me to push back?_

"Uh...well, I guess we start with...um...taking our clothes off." He tugged nervously at the hem of his t-shirt. He started to pull it over his head, but it got caught on one of his shoulders. He made sounds of frustration. Brett smiled a little and caught Liam's hands. Liam let the shirt go, and it fell back around his torso.

"Why don't you let me help?" Brett asked gently, taking the hem in his hands and sliding the shirt smoothly over Liam's body. As soon as the fabric was discarded, Brett kissed down Liam's neck. "Help me with mine?" He knelt down on the floor so that Liam could reach all of his top half, and smiled when Liam took the hem of his shirt and pulled it off. It was a little less graceful than when Brett had done it, but the actions seemed to be soothing Liam's nerves.

"I have some...uh...lube in my pack. I was kind of...when I went around to the pharmacies, I picked some up, as well as...condoms."

"Getting your hopes up, huh?" Brett teased with a smirk. Liam blushed a deep shade of red.

"Well, I...it was a last moment thing. I was walking out of one pharmacy, and I saw them, and th...thoughts of you came and...I imagined..." He shivered at his memories. "I grabbed them without really thinking."

"What did you imagine?" Brett asked, lying him down on the mattress.

Liam's eyes were half-lidded when he answered, clearly enjoying the attention. "I imagined your fingers inside me. I imagined you...sucking me off...sucking you off...I-I imagined you kissing, touching, feeling everything...and enjoying it."

Brett smiled, now having a bit of an idea of what Liam liked, but Liam kept talking. "I...I had a dream the other night, that you would...hold me down and fuck me, but I let the dream go, 'cause you're a gentle guy." Liam's confidence was slipping back in, and he was pushing up into Brett's hands. Brett experimentally pushed on his hips, forcing them to the bed, and Liam let out quite a loud moan. "Shit, sorry, you...your sister."

Brett rolled his eyes. He still was rather uneasy about her probably being able to hear them having sex, but she _did_ ask for it, and she was old enough. "She'll be fine. She did, after all, almost demand that we did this."

"Fair enough." Liam breathed as Brett kept the pressure on his hips, kneading them a little with the tips of his fingers.

"Any other fantasies you care to share?" Brett leaned down and kissed Liam softly, rolling his hips a little.

"Like being tied up. Was really hard when I woke up on the floor of your apartment. And I-I like teeth. Teeth are good. Teeth are _great_ , actually.'

Brett, armed with this new information, pressed his hips to Liam's and held him down there with the weight of his body. Then, he grabbed Liam's wrists and pinned them to the bed. Liam whined and turned his head to the side, offering his neck up. _He likes to surrender._ Brett thought with growing excitement. He scraped his lips and teeth down Liam's neck, closing his mouth when he reached the junction to his shoulder. Liam gave another cry of pleasure, arching his lower back as much as he could with Brett's weight draped over him.

"Brett?"

"Mm." Brett would have paid more attention if he'd sounded pained or panicked, but he just sounded desperate.

"We're still wearing too many clothes." Liam ground up into Brett to prove his point. Brett smirked and kissed Liam's pouty lips.

"And what are you going to do about that?"

"I was hoping that you would do something." Liam whined.

"You're gonna have to put in a bit more effort than that."

Brett had completely forgotten about Lori, who was listening intently at the door to the hold, a huge smile on her face. "That's my bro." She whispered before going back up to steer the boat.

Brett let Liam up and kneeled over him. He guided Liam's hands to his crotch, and sighed happily when Liam undid the button and pulled down the zipper of his jeans. He did the same to Liam, and smiled when Liam lifted his hips, pulling the fabric down his legs. "I missed the sight of you naked."

"You too." Liam replied shortly, sitting up to kiss Brett on the lips. Brett climbed off of him and took his trousers off. Liam did the same and, since they were both standing, jumped up into Brett's arms, wrapping his legs around his waist. "You ready?"

"Mmhm."

  


"So, how was that guys?" Lori asked as Brett and Liam came up out of the hold twenty minutes later.

"Great, but I still feel uneasy about you being here while we did it."

"Don't worry about me. I'm just glad you had fun." Liam walked up behind her and kissed her cheek.

"Thanks for allowing me the pleasure of having sex with your brother."

"Of course. You have my permission to do it any time you like." Lori gave Liam a wink, and Brett glared at them both.

"How long until we get to Neshaminy Creek?"

"On this beauty? We should get there only an hour or two after midnight. We'll sleep here and then make the hour long bike ride to the warehouse. There, we can come back and get another load, because it will take at least two trips. We might need to bring Corey with us. I know about the tension between you and Isaac, so we'll avoid him as much as possible."

"Okay. Better get settled in then. Liam, can you read me some of your book? 'The Court of the Air'."

"Sure." Liam went to get his book, and opened it to the first page. _"Molly Templar sat dejected by the loading platform of the Handsome Lane laundry. An empty cart bore testament to the full tub of clothes inside, bubbling away. At least Molly tried to imagine what dejected would feel like, and scrunched her freckled face to match the mood. In the end though, it was one of the other poorhouse girls, Rachael, who came to fetch her, not the Beadle, so Molly's player-like mastery of 'dejected' went unappreciated."_ Brett sat down next to Liam and rested his head on his lap. Liam's hand idly ran through his hair, and he could feel himself drifting off.

_"Damson Snell, the mistress of the laundry, came out to see who had turned up, and looked disappointed that it was just another Sun Gate workhouse girl. 'The Beadle too busy to see the quality of the idle scruffs he's forcing on my business, then'"_

Brett chuckled a little at the voice he put on to impersonate Damson Snell; it was a little nasally and very high-pitched. He switched voice quickly, going for an English country girl. _"'His apologies, miss,' said Rachael. 'He is otherwise engaged.'"_

It was back to the nasally Damson Snell. _"'Well, you tell him from me, I got no room for workers as this one' Snell pointed to Molly. 'You know what I caught her doing?'"_

_"'No miss.' Although Rachael's tone suggested she might have an inkling."_

_"'Reading!' Damson Snell's face went red with incredulity. 'Some gent had left a thruppence novel in the pocket of his coat and she-' her finger stabbed at Molly '-was only bloody reading it. And when I bangs her one, she cheeks me back. A fine little madam and no mistake. You tell the Beadle we runs a place of work here...'"_ Liam's voice drifted out of Brett's focus as he sank into a deep slumber.

  


Brett woke up the next morning, having slept for thirteen hours. "Morning, sleepyhead. You slept a long time." Liam nudged him by lifting his leg a little. "You know it's rude to fall asleep while someone's reading to you?"

"I thought it was not only expected, but required. Did you sleep?" Brett wasn't particularly surprised to find a blanket draped over him. He pushed it off and sat up.

"Yeah, I slept, but my legs are numb now." Brett rubbed just above his knees as he kissed him. "We're in the marina. Lori went and found us a rowboat, so we can take the supplies over. She hasn't started to take anything over so far, but we need to help her to make that process quicker. You should go with her first round and guard the stuff while Lori makes trips. I'll stay here and hand the stuff down. After that, we'll secure the stash in a nearby house. Lori has already scouted the nearby area and found us one. She says it's free of zombies, and so is the surrounding area. We don't know how long that'll last, though, so we should get moving as quickly as we can. You've not eaten much since the day before yesterday, though, so you should eat something."

"Okay. Spaghetti again?" Brett asked hopefully.

  


Brett was standing nervously on the bank. He'd had a bad feeling from the minute he'd stepped foot on land. He wished Lori would hurry up. He wanted to get back on the yacht as soon as possible. He breathed a sigh of relief when Lori showed up with the boat. They'd already transferred about a quarter of their stock, but Brett shoved her back from the shore. "Leave them. It doesn't matter. I have a bad feeling. One more day, okay?"

Lori looked left and right and, not seeing any danger, frowned at Brett. "What do you think is coming?"

"I don't know. I just feel uneasy. Can we have this conversation away from here? I'd feel safer on the yacht."

"Okay. Hop in." She got back in the boat and rowed back to the yacht. Liam helped them up, frowning at Brett.

"What's wrong?"

"I just feel uneasy. I feel like there's someone else over there, and if my hunch is right, they're not good people either. I just...Lori, can you help me empty the rowboat? I want to abandon the yacht. Come on, quickly."

Just ten minutes later, the rowboat was empty, and they were already rowing out of the marina. Brett rowed quickly with his powerful arms, exiting the marina in record time. He took them up Neshaminy Creek before switching with Liam, looking increasingly nervous. They passed three other marinas, but Brett shook his head, telling Liam to keep going. As they passed under the railroad, Brett pushed Liam aside gently and kept rowing. He knew his muscles would be sore tomorrow, but it didn't matter, as long as they were safe.

Another 300 metres later, Brett deemed a small creek safe enough. On instruction, Liam had put blankets in the bottom of the boat. He pulled Liam and Lori close into his sides and tucked the blankets around them. "Don't let your head up. Don't get your limbs out of the boat. Stay quiet, stay hidden, stay safe."

  


They stayed in the boat for hours, the sun rising to its peak and descending again. Brett felt something change again; they weren't safe anymore. He shook Liam awake, holding his hand over his mouth. He then held his finger over his lips. He did the same for Lori.

"Lori, go first. Cover your arms and face in mud. Legs too. Get some in your hair. Wait for Liam, then go to the cover of the trees. Wait there for me." Lori nodded and slipped out of the boat, rolling in the mud before lying still.

"Liam, keep her safe. I might be a while, okay? Take the bow. If there are ten or less, shoot them as quickly as you can. Start from the back. Don't fire until you're either sure they can't see, or I'm in immediate danger. If there are more, leave with Lori. Stay quiet and low. Keep to the shadows. Get back to the others. Tell them what they look like, where, generally we're headed and how many you see. Don't wait for too long, and keep moving. Don't make the mistake of staying in one place. Don't get cornered." He pressed his lips to Liam's. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Brett let his eyes fall closed as Liam crept out of the boat, rolling in the mud like Lori had, both of them scrambling into the line of trees. There was a nerve wracking fifteen minutes where nothing happened, and then Brett heard footsteps crunching on the rocks near the edge of the water. He was nudged awake by something sharp. Brett's heart jumped into his throat. There were only five of them, but they were burly and brutal-looking. One held a wooden club, punctured with nails. Another had a knife that was stained with the black-brown blood of zombies. The third, and only woman, had a handgun with a sound suppressor. The fourth was the biggest and had spiked gloves and a machete. The closest was obviously the leader. He had a nasty scar on his long face, running down the right side of his nose, all the way to curl his lip into a fierce smirk.

"You move, my friend is gonna take your head off." He pointed to the big guy with a machete. Brett glanced at him, but his eyes settled on the guy with the club. He looked nervous, and not at all ready for something like this. The leader caught where his gaze was, and he turned to the guy, who flinched back. "Danny! Pull yourself together! We're supposed to be a gang!"

"I don't know, Donovan. This doesn't seem like a good idea. I mean, we know he isn't alone. Where are the other two?" Brett's heart jumped into his throat. They knew. They knew about Lori and Liam.

"Jesus Christ, Danny, I know you probably think he's good looking, but now is not the time for that! Besides, you've already got Lucas. Go and fuck him. If you're so worried about it, go and look for them with your boyfriend." Brett silently wished for Liam to not shoot either of the younger boys moving off. They were victims. In fact, the other guy looked pretty uncomfortable too.

An arrow shot out from the trees and went right through the woman's chest. She gasped and fell to her knees. Donovan and the other guy turned, and Brett took that opportunity to catch Donovan in a throat-hold. The big dark skinned guy spined, looking at Donovan, then back to the woman. "She's dying. Don't worry about her. Tell me your name."

"Boyd."

"Okay, Boyd. I don't want to hurt you. We don't want to hurt the other two boys either."

"What about Donovan?" Brett shrugged, and drew his knife across his throat. It wasn't a deep enough cut to kill him, but it would make it hard to breathe, and he wouldn't me moving much any time soon. "What did you do that for?"

Brett put his hands up. "If you cared about him, if you had any feelings other than fear or hatred for him, kill me. I'm open. Come on, do it." Brett wasn't completely sure that he wouldn't do it, but it was out there now. Boyd hesitated for a moment before letting his machete fall to his feet.

"So, you've got a plan?" Boyd turned and looked at Danny and Lucas, backed by Lori and Liam.

"Yep. At the moment, we're heading back to our group. Do you have a group?"

Boyd shook his head. "It was just us. So your community will accept us?"

"They will. You only need to tell Satomi, our leader, your story. She will speak to you alone in her office. She will then deem you fit for one of our faculties and you'll be taken on a tour, shown to your room and then be set to work. You can leave any time you like."

Boyd looked at Danny and Lucas. "Can we talk about it?"

"Sure." They let the three boys talk quietly for a while.

"I want in, Danny does too, but Lucas isn't sure."

"Why don't you come with us, check it out, and decide later? You don't have to do anything, but it'll be safer if you come with us first."

"Alright." They set out as the sky started getting lighter. It was still getting colder, and as they walked, it started to snow. Brett liked the feel of the snow, but he knew that it meant that fresh fruit and vegetables would not be harvested, that disease would be more likely to run rife, and that infections would be settling into open wounds for the winter. Bugs would be looking for a host to keep them warm during the cooler months, and it could mean death for anyone.

  


They arrived at the warehouse just after nine, when everyone was moving off to their jobs. They led the boys up to Satomi's office. Brett knocked on her door. "Come in."

"Wait here." He said to the others. He slipped into the room and bowed to Satomi. "Sorry we took so long to get back. We ran into some complications." He embraced her and kissed her temple; their standard greeting. "I have brought more visitors."

"Send them in." Brett bowed again and kissed her cheek, wrapping her in a gentle embrace. "It is good to see you again, Brett."

"You too, Satomi." He exited, and sent Boyd, Danny and Lucas in to see her. He kissed Liam and wished him a good day, and went off to the infirmary.

  


Brett sank onto his mattress behind Liam, draping his arm over his waist. Liam shifted, pushing back into his body. Brett buried his nose in Liam's hair. He let his eyes fall closed, sinking into his dreams.

 _"Brett." Brett feels himself being shaken awake. "Brett, wake up. We're being followed. We have to move." He blinks his eyes open, and sees Liam and Lori's worried faces staring down at him. He frowns at them, having trouble comprehending their words. He looks behind Liam and sees Donovan with his arm raised. He tries to shout out a warning, but it's too late. Liam's eyes bulge out of his head as he struggles to breathe._  
_He finds himself on the yacht, Liam gasping like a beached fish. He grips weakly at Brett's shoulders. "Brett. I love you." He breathes, coughing up blood._  
_Brett feels his eyes well and drip with tears. "No, no, don't leave me, please."_  
_"I love you, baby." Liam says in his mother's voice, caressing his cheek softly. Brett is suddenly seven years old again, holding his mother's hand, just before she died. "Go, baby. Take your sister. Take care of her."_  
_"No! I won't leave you!"_  
_"You have to, baby. I'll be right behind you." Brett looks back at the crawling hole open for himself and his sister._  
_"It's not big enough. You won't fit."_  
_"But you will, baby. Go on, go with your sister. Live for me. Promise me you'll take care of yourself and Lori. Promise."_  
_Brett coughs when the smoke enters his tiny lungs. "I promise. I love you!"_  
_"I love you too, baby! I love you!" Brett feels tears run down his face as he crawls out of the burning house, pulling Lori behind him. She's screaming, telling him to go back, and he has to fight the urge to obey her. Instead, he grits his teeth and pushes on, finally stumbling out of their crawl-space. The tunnel made his mother and father's screams echo, filling his ears and drilling into his brain. He holds Lori close as they lay, traumatised and exhausted, on their lawn. Hands pull them away from the blaze as fire fighters rush forward with hoses. They break in, trying to get his mother and father out, but it's too late. ___

"Brett! Brett! Wake up!" Brett threw himself out from under the blankets, Isaac, Liam, Danny, Boyd and Corey looking at him with a mixture of fear and worry. His gaze zeroed in on Liam.

"Are you okay?" He askd, touching his cheek, not quite sure he's actually there.

"I'm okay. Are you?"

"Nightmares. I just...I'm sorry I woke you. I didn't...I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No. I'm okay." Brett sighed in relief and pulled him into a hug. "What were you dreaming about?" Brett shook his head, and Liam seemed to get the message. _I don't want to talk about it._

Just then, Lori ran into the room. "Derek's back, and he's got your friend with him."

Brett frowned at Liam. "Only one?"

"There were more?" Liam and Brett shared a look, both of them preparing themselves for another loss.


	9. Chapter 9

"We were talking about it to Satomi. Did you really forget?"

"Yeah, but it was boring. I fell asleep. Can you really blame me?" Lori grumbled.

Brett sighed. "I guess not." He stiffened as he walked down the stairs. Lori was leading them, and even though they could look over the edge of the platform if they really wanted to, they didn't want to. They were both so nervous that they would see that it was the other's friend who'd come back. _I hope...I don't know what I hope. If it's Scott, Brett might lose it, but if it's Malia...I might lose it. I guess we'll find out soon enough._

Brett abruptly stopped, turned and pulled Liam to him. "It's..."

"Liam?" Liam's heart soared at the sound of Scott's voice, but then felt it crash to the floor at the realisation that Malia was either injured or dead. He wrapped his arms around Brett, holding him close in an effort to comfort him. He slipped out of his grasp, looking at Scott.

He looked terrible. His clothes were ripped and he had dried blood on his head. "What happened?"

Scott opened his mouth to reply, but a tall, muscly man stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "We'll tell Satomi, and you can all be updated at once." Lori, to Liam's surprise, went to the guy and started pulling on his arm.

"So much happened while you were out, Derek." She started talking, and Derek just smiled at her, letting himself be dragged along by the hyper teen. She had, in a fit of talking on the ship, told him her age; sixteen, and Brett's age; twenty.

Brett opened the door to Satomi's office without knocking, a testament to how upset he was, and hugged her immediately. Liam could see that she understood his pain, and held him close even as the others filed into the room. Brett stepped back respectfully and bowed slightly, retreating to Liam's side. With a pained look at Brett, Derek kissed Satomi's cheek, foregoing the bow and hug. The rest of the scouting party did the usual ritual, as did Lori. Scott looked a little bewildered, but followed suit. Liam just bowed a little, not really okay with all the touching, and sat with Brett.

Scott sat himself as close to Liam as he possibly could, driving Liam to sit on Brett's lap. He had no idea what had happened to make Scott behave this way and, even though he would have revelled in their closeness before, he was with Brett now, and it made him feel uncomfortable. A glance at Brett showed that he was just as confused, but he pulled Liam to lean against his chest. Scott shot them a glare, which made Liam's head spin even more. _What on earth is going on here? Why is everyone now gay?_

"So, tell me your name, young man."

"Scott."

"Well, Scott. Liam and Brett talked of you when they told me their stories. However, I still want to hear your side. Tell me everything from the beginning."

"I was in Danbury, Connecticut with my mum, dad, Liam, Stiles, Mason and Hayden, along with all of their parents. We were on school holidays up there, and we don't usually get to...anyway, we were there when everything went down, and we heard that there were people helping down in Manhattan. We started making our way down there when we met up with more people. By that point we'd lost...a lot of people." He glanced at Liam.

"Liam's mum, my dad, Stiles' dad...we don't know for sure if he's dead, but it was a pretty dire situation we'd left him in. Hayden and her parents." He winced a bit at that one. It was a particularly bad way to go, losing your mind, but Hayden had gone and done it. After she'd lost her mother and father, she'd just kept screaming. They'd tried to stay with her as long as possible, but she'd called a huge hoard down around them, and they had to leave. Liam and Mason had tried to take her, but she'd dragged her feet. If they'd tried any more, they'd have all lost their lives. They'd reluctantly left her kneeling on the ground, screaming and crying. Liam had had nightmares about her screams for months.

The silence stretched longer then usual, the same memory probably etched on Scott's scull too. Eventually, he licked his lips, took a deep breath and continued. "We met the people, and they were heading down to Manhattan too, so we just joined up because of the common goal. Then...about a couple of days after joining up with them, a huge hoard came through and separated Mason, Stiles, Liam and I from the group. We continued, but we didn't have a map. We had no idea where we were going. It took us a week to even get out of the forest. Then, we were forced back in by zombies. That was where Mason got bitten, and we...we tried to amputate it, but..." Scott looked faint and pale.

Liam reluctantly reached out and touched Scott's shoulder. He looked searchingly at Satomi, and she nodded. He continued for him. "Stiles passed out, Mason almost did, Scott couldn't handle the thought of Mason without a limb and I couldn't do it by myself. He turned, and none of us could do anything about it but run. Miraculously, we ended up in Manhattan. It was a streak of good luck in so much bad. We found out that, after heading through most of Fordham, we had been heading the wrong way. We found Maps at a Toyota place, and followed them to some place called Abi Liquors New York, which, of course, Stiles wanted to stay in."

Scott chuckled. "Yep, and he got totally wasted. He talked about girls he liked until he passed out. We walked mostly unchallenged down to St.Patrick's Cathedral, where we were cornered by more zombies. We fought our way through and ran a long way before stopping. We were at the Hotel Walcott, but it didn't look safe, so we kept looking until we found the Marble Collegiate Church. We were there for a while, not sure how long, and everything was going fine until we saw Brett." He turned to glare at him.

"We were all alive, and healthy, and we hadn't seen anyone for months, and then Liam fell in love with some guy he just met, thereby leaving Stiles and I, and I had the _wonderful_ idea to go and look for him. Then, once we tried to get him to leave, he outright refused, saying he wasn't going anywhere without Brett, and then we had to take Lydia and Brett with us, meaning that Stiles got separated from us, and Lydia got bitten. After that, we waited for Brett and Stiles to get back, which led Theo to where we were, and he killed Stiles, and I had to kill Theo because he was gonna kill Liam. Then, we all held hands and went to the river, floating them all away, except for the real problem, who stayed, and then left with my only remaining best friend, leaving me to deal with psycho's girlfriend. Who, by the way, is also a fucking psycho! Or at least was, until infection set in, which was just as well, because she'd already tried to kill me three times! I do not get angry very often. Liam knows this. And when I do, I can usually contain it, but you, if you haven't noticed the trend, are the problem here."

"You do realise that she probably had a high fever and was hallucinating, right? Just...pointing that out. I might not have known Malia for a long time, but I do know that she wasn't psychotic."

"Well, anyway, I didn't know what to do, because I guessed that Liam would have already let you romance him up, and it looks like I was right, and I couldn't stay where I was, so I just wandered." Scott's whole demeanour changed. He relaxed again, looking at Derek. "That's when Derek and the others found me. Liam didn't know him, but Stiles and I did. He recognised me. On the way back here, he told me about Stiles. Um, I don't know if you know, but...Stiles killed Peter."

Liam stared in shock for a second. He knew that Brett had said that Stiles had admitted to killing someone, but he'd never thought..."Well, I say good riddance. That guy was a dick. Totally would have killed us all. Manipulative too. Would have left us, passed us on for his own gain. You know that."

"Doesn't change the fact that he killed someone." Scott shot him a look that filled him with hurt and sadness. Then, Scott's behaviour clicked.

"Scott?" Scott turned to look at him. "Why are you angry with Brett when it's me you feel betrayed by?"

"What? I don't-"

"Don't lie to yourself Scott. It only makes the pain worse. It makes the anger build until nothing's left."

Scott struggled with his thoughts for a minute before deflating. "Because I can't blame you. You're the only one I have left. And he started it."

"Really, Scott? 'He started it'? How old are you? If it's me you have a problem with, _I_ started it, and _we_ need to finish it. Derek can finish the rest of your story." He stood up and pushed Scott ahead of him. As the door closed, he heard Satomi comment that he had a lot of good communication skills.

"So, you feel betrayed because..."

"Because you left with _him_ , a guy you just met, and after you'd told me that you liked me. And now, you've gone and kissed him, your first kiss, and you've probably had sex with him, also your first time, and you..."

"Scott, you can't act like you've loved me all along, because I know you haven't. You can't do this to me. I've finally found someone who makes me happy. Are you really going to take that from me? Don't you want me to be happy, Scott?"

"Of course I want you to be happy, but does it have to be him? He's the one who made all of this go wrong."

"No, Scott. It was me. I ran, remember?"

"Because of him!"

"No, because of _me_! Scott, you have to stop sliding the blame. You _know_ who you're angry at. You just have to admit it, and then it'll all go away. I've had enough experience with anger to know that. Yell at me, punch me, do whatever you have to do, Scott. Come on! You know who you want to blame!"

"Alright, fine, yes, I know who I want to blame, and it's Stiles! Never you!" He looked shocked at the words coming out of his mouth. Liam was shocked too. "He's the one who drove you away, who made you feel bad! You never deserved that! And he _was_ a terrible friend! He abandoned me so many times! And the...he killed a guy, and sure I killed Theo, but that was to save you! To save Brett! To save me! And yes, I want you to be happy! Of course I want you to be happy! You're my best friend, and all I've got left!" His eyes were bright with tears.

"You were angry with Brett because he was the one who finally made you realise it, weren't you?"

"I'm sorry." Scott closed his eyes and pulled Liam into a hug. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you thought I was mad at you, I'm sorry I attacked Brett. I'm sorry I defended Stiles for so long. I'm sorry you felt like you had to leave to get away from that."

"It's okay. It happened. The thing that matters now is working through this. Don't blame yourself, though. This isn't your fault."

"Yeah. Can I-can I just sleep now? I'm tired."

"Okay. I'll take you to our room." Brett came out of Satomi's office.

"I heard you guys yelling. Are you okay?" Liam smiled gently and gave him a little kiss on his shoulder.

"We're okay. Scott's tired. I'm taking him to our room."

"Okay. Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, we'll be okay."

"Alright." Brett kissed Liam quickly on the lips before pulling away, going back into Satomi's office. Liam led Scott to their room.

"Hey, you're new. My name's Corey. This is Isaac. That's...Boyd, right? And Danny, yeah?" The two new boys nodded.

"I'm Scott."

"You...uh, you woulda talked to Satomi, right? Told her your story?"

"Yeah." Liam could see that Corey liked the look of Scott. A small part of him felt a twinge of jealousy, but he was surprised to find that it was nowhere near as big as the part of him that was jealous of Isaac and the relationship he'd had with Brett.

Just then, Hannah walked in. She cast a glare in Liam's direction and draped herself, as best she could, over Isaac. She put one hand on his shoulder and wrapped the other about his waist. The action stretched her out so that she was standing on her tip-toes and reaching for the heavens.

"Hey Isaac. Do you want to go somewhere more...private?" Isaac flinched. Liam took pity on both of them.

"Actually, I was kind of hoping to talk to you for a second, Isaac. Can you just..."

Isaac looked both relieved and guarded. "Yeah, sure." Hanna let him go reluctantly and Isaac followed him out to the hallway. "What?"

"Look, you might have fooled Hannah, Brett and Corey, but you didn't fool me. I know you're gay. I told Hannah and Brett, but she's in denial. She thinks she can convert you, at least just for her. You've given her an opening and she's taking it. With both hands. What I'm saying is...if you keep leading her on, you're gonna break her heart. She seems like a nice girl, and I don't know how kind-hearted you are, but I don't think you're cruel enough to do that to her. I'm not threatening you. I'm not saying this because I care about you, or her. I'm not saying this because I think you have a chance with Brett. I'm just saying that if you do this, if you break her heart, even if I die, or Brett and I break up, there is _no way_ that Brett is going to forgive you. So, think long and hard about your next move, Isaac. Brett isn't a jealous person. You'd know that if you'd actually paid attention and weren't so desperate. You won't win him over that way."

"You're wrong. And I _will_ get Brett, no matter what." He stalked back inside, and Liam sighed. Definitely going to be trouble. He followed him in moments later, and saw Scott and Corey sitting in the corner, Scott leaned up against Corey, fingers intertwined.

Liam tried to force down the wave of jealousy, but it still lapped at his heart. Liam looked away at Boyd and Danny, already back asleep on their mattress. They didn't have enough mattresses for everyone to have their own, so they all had to share. Boyd was very protective of Danny, and it really showed when they slept. Boyd wrapped Danny in his arms, shoulders hunched over his smaller frame. It looked kind of uncomfortable, especially since Boyd leaned forward when he slept on his side. Danny looked comfortable, though, so Liam supposed he just felt safe. He tried to imagine someone as big as Boyd cuddling him like that, and guessed that he would feel pretty safe too.

"If you ever need anything, come to me, yeah? Anything at all."

"Thanks Corey."

"So, since we have to share, will you share with me or Isaac?" Liam looked around, but he couldn't see Isaac anywhere. He must have gone away with Hannah. He hoped he knew what he was doing.

"I think I'll sleep with Isaac. Give me a reason to get to know him better, right?"

"Right." Corey looked really saddened by this decision, but Scott seemed not to notice.

"I'm really tired. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yeah." Both Scott and Corey slipped into their separate beds. Brett walked in, then.

"We should get back to bed, right? A big day tomorrow. We've got a day of work and then a scavenging mission the day after. It'll be an early start for that. Boyd will be coming with us, but we'll tell him tomorrow. We've also got our performance tomorrow night. We have to organise our songs. We should perform at least two. Think about them tomorrow while you're working. Don't pick anything too dark and dreary, okay?"

"Okay." Liam pulled Brett under the covers and kissed him. Without thinking about it, he turned to face Corey and let Brett's arm fall around his side. He'd just started to drift off when he heard blankets rustling. Liam felt his heart sink when he saw Scott's shadow slip underneath Corey's covers. Liam pulled Liam closer into his chest when Scott started kissing him. Liam's tears splashed warm on their sheets.

Corey rolled them over so he was on top, propping himself up on his hands. Liam turned into Brett's chest when they started having sex, shoulders shaking.

"Do you want me to do anything?" Brett asked softly, but Liam shook his head. He was grateful for the effort, but this was something he'd just have to deal with.

"I'm sorry. I know I'm with you now, but it still hurts, you know?"

"It's okay. I get it." Brett pulled Liam tighter into his chest and kissed the top of his head, whispering sweet nothings into his ear to hide the soft sounds of Scott and Corey having sex just metres away.

  


The next morning, Liam woke tucked into Brett's chest. His eyes were sore from crying and his arms were numb where he'd been lying on them. "Brett?"

"Morning." Brett whispered back, kissing the top of his head. "How you doing? Sleep well?"

"I'm doing alright. I slept well. How about you?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's get up and ready for the day, yeah?"

"Okay." Liam kissed Brett before rolling out of bed and heading downstairs for breakfast. He had juice from freshly squeezed oranges and a bowl of porridge. Because they had milk, the porridge was thick and creamy. It didn't take much to make it like this, but it was definitely worth it. A scavenging party had recently found a few jars of honey too, so Liam had put a little in his porridge.

Liam finished his breakfast and went out into the gardens. He was met by Lori, who pounced on him. "Hey, Lori."

"Good morning. I talked to Brett about last night. Are...are you okay?"

"Yeah. How are you doing? Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I did. I'm doing well. Any way, we should get to work. Today, we're looking for anything we can harvest before winter really sets in." She handed him a basket. "Here you go. We'll start at bed one, and go all the way to bed six. Then, we'll take off-cuts from the plants and put them in our greenhouse for the winter."

"I meant to ask the other day, but why don't we keep the plants in the greenhouse all the time?"

"There isn't enough room. Today is your first time in there, isn't it?" Liam nodded. "Well, you'll see just how small it really is."

There was surprisingly a lot of stuff to harvest. They took the cuttings and then it was midday. Lori was right about the size of the greenhouse. It was barely big enough for one of the shelves, let alone two, plus people. It was a tight squeeze, but the people there were efficient and worked like bees in a hive.

"We got that done quicker than expected. We should go and help them cover the trees in the boxes. They should be up to three by now." They walked over and Lori groaned in frustration. "Why are you guys only on box two?"

"Sorry. The tarp got caught on one of the branches. We'd cut it off, but it's too high for us to reach and we don't have a ladder."

"Hang on. Let me go and get somebody." Liam ran up to the infirmary. "Brett, are you busy? We need help down in the gardens."

"Sure. Just let me check in with Alan."

"Okay." Liam followed Brett, waiting awkwardly when he talked to a big, dark skinned male.

"We should be okay for a few minutes. What do you need help with?"

"We're covering the trees for winter so they don't die of frost bite, but one of the branches got caught. It's too high for us to cut off and we don't have a ladder. I was wanting to get a boost from you, 'cause it's really high, to cut it off."

"Okay. Glad to help." When they got down, Brett stood, waiting for Liam to get the cutters. When he did, he handed them to Lori so she could pass them up. Then, Liam climbed to sit on Brett's shoulders. They still weren't quite tall enough.

"Can you stand on something? We're still not quite there yet." Lori told one of their younger helpers to get a milk crate. They scurried off and brought one back. "Thanks, Hans." Liam winked at him. Hans was one of the kids who'd really made an impression. He was a quiet kid, but he'd run up and introduced himself in a squeaky, high-pitched voice before scampering away. Smiling at his behaviour, Noshiko had called him back over.

_"Can you show Liam around the gardens for me, Hans?" Hans had smiled shyly and nodded. "Thank you, Hans. It's a big job, I know. You'll be taking over my role soon."_

_Hans had squealed with laughter and gripped Liam's hand, pulling him away to look at the boxes and beds, telling him what was in each, informing him about the cows. Liam had been surprised by how much he knew. He talked about the gardens like he'd been born in them._

Hans blushed and stepped away. Brett climbed on top of the crate, making sure Liam was safe, and Liam was finally able to reach. He snipped it quickly, not liking the height. "Okay. Done. You can put me down now."

Brett stepped off the crate and knelt down on the ground, allowing Liam to climb off. "So, did you think about the songs we'll be singing tonight?"

"Yeah. Do you know 'Brave For Me' by Conjure One?"

"Yeah I do. Did you want me to play piano for that? I actually liked that song so much I composed something for it."

"That'd be great. How about for the second, we do 'Some Things Never Change' by Miracle of Sound?"

"I like it. I'll let Lori know."

"Okay." Brett smiled and kissed Liam goodbye and went to find Lori. He pulled her aside and spoke to her for a bit, and Liam watched with a smile as she nodded enthusiastically.

  


"You ready? It's almost time." Liam fidgeted nervously before nodding. "I'll go on first, 'kay, then I'll sit down, introduce you guys and then you come on. Lori will be right behind you."

"Okay." Liam was still nervous, but he was less so, knowing that Brett and Lori would be there. Brett ascended the stairs to the small stage.

"Liam, Lori and I will be your entertainers tonight, and Liam and Lori will be singing wile I play. We've got two songs for you, the first is 'Brave For Me', and the second is 'Some Things Never Change'." Liam ascended the stairs behind Brett.

Brett started to play, and after about a minute, Lori started to sing.

 _It's reaching beyond myself_  
_It's something I always find_  
_But I've hit the darkest slopes_  
_Will you be my lifeline tonight?_

Liam started to sing with her, a little nervous and shaky at first, but growing in confidence by the second.

 _Don't offer me your empty promises_  
_'Cause I'm way better off when the sun rises_  
_So sickness is not the end of it_  
_Will you see me through?_

Lori let Liam take the next verse on his own, and his voice was steady and clear, just like it had been for Brett.

 _If I needed you, couldn't tell._  
_When the silence is wrapped so tight,_  
_With everything else alone_  
_Will you be my lifeline tonight?_

Lori joined back in, lifting the chorus to newer levels of beauty. Brett had been right. Lori's soft voice matched perfectly with his clear one.

 _Don't offer me your empty promises_  
_'Cause I'm way better off when the sun rises_  
_So sickness is not the end of it_  
_Will you see me through?_

Brett joined in for the next two verses, and his voice melded with theirs wonderfully. Everyone had stopped eating and was thoroughly captivated by their performance. Liam saw Isaac in the back roll his eyes and drift elsewhere. He put it in the back of his mind. He was having fun, and he wouldn't let anyone else take that away from him. Liam caught sight of Hans in the front row of tables, eyes shining with awe and respect. Liam winked at him, and he almost fell out of his chair.

 _Spiral out and it shakes me_  
_I'm full of doubt but if you only believe_  
_Show me you're sincere_  
_Take away my fears_  
_And be brave for me_  
_Be brave for me._

 _Spiral out and it shakes me_  
_I'm full of doubt but if you only believe_  
_Show me you're sincere_  
_Take away my fears_  
_And be brave for me_  
_Be brave for me._

Their song tapered off into nothing, and the room exploded into applause. Liam felt a blush rise in his cheeks. He kept his eyes on Hans, the little German boy who was stranded here with his parents when everything went wrong. They were over on holiday when people started getting bitten and turned. He'd been scared and alone in Philadelphia, looking for his parents when Satomi had taken him in. He'd not really fit into any space with any people, so he'd kept to himself in the gardens. His mother had been a gardener, and he'd learnt a lot from her. Hans smiled back at him.

_God, I love that kid. Maybe I can, like, adopt him or something..._

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Brett starting to play again. It started softly, and Liam started to sing.

 _Weathered wood and cracks in concrete faded_  
_Lonely old leviathans corrode_  
_Labyrinth of lights and life degraded_  
_Vivid highways slump to riven roads._

 _And ever and on we go_  
_Never to learn or grow_  
_Pillars of peace estranged_  
_I guess some things never change_

Lori joined in then, and the song got one hundred times better.

 _We fall, we fall again_  
_Stare through empty window panes_  
_We fall, we fall again_  
_I guess some things never change_

Liam and Lori stopped singing to allow Brett to sing the next bit.

 _Sterile soil_  
_Will harden_  
_Wasted world_  
_My garden_

Liam and Lori started singing again, and Brett stopped.

 _Beacons of the past on each horizon_  
_Weary feet tread stories in the dust_  
_Havens hard, no steel can crack the diamonds_  
_Hope among the ruin and the rust_

 _And ever and on we run_  
_Purest or rains they come_  
_Pillars of peace estranged_  
_I guess some things never change_

 _We fall, we fall again_  
_Stare through empty window panes_  
_We fall, we fall again_  
_I guess some things never change_

 _Sterile soil_ Brett sang that bit while Liam sang _we fall again_  
_Will harden_ Brett sang that, too, wile Lori sang _Why do we never change?_  
_Wasted world_ Brett again, with Liam this time. _We fall again..._  
_My garden_ Brett finished playing and another round of applause went up. Liam was surprised to find that he was enjoying himself.

"One more. You know 'the Lucky Ones'?"

"Yeah. You want to do that now?"

"Yeah. I'm having fun."

"Alright, Liam's having fun, so we're doing another one." Brett announced to the crowd. He didn't sit back down at the piano, instead standing next to Liam. The crowd cheered a little. They started singing right away because they had no musical accompaniment.

 _Dull windows_  
_Deliver no lights_  
_Under the soft cinders_  
_The dimming of life_

 _We crawl in cold canyons_  
_Deep cuts between_  
_The giants still standing_  
_Over rabid ravines_  
_Still city sleeps_  
_In sheets of ash and snow_  
_Grey sky it weeps_  
_Over the fading glow_  
_Are we the lucky ones?_  
_Clinging onto life_  
_Are we the lucky ones?_  
_Ducking out of the lines of sight?_  
_The last few leaves_  
_Waiting to fall_ _Seems fortune’s frozen for us all_

 _Grave journeys_  
_Keep taking their toll ___  
_All of these small mercies_  
_Congeal in the cold_

 _State of the dead empire_  
_Submit to the grip_  
_Of all these bred vampires_  
_A grim leadership_

 _Unstable cells_  
_In concrete veins still surge_  
_All of us wear_  
_The scars of nature's purge_

 _Are we the lucky ones?_  
_Clinging onto life_  
_Are we the lucky ones?_  
_Ducking out of the lines of sight_  
_Dividing one by one_  
_Finding favour on the edge of the knife_  
_Are we the lucky ones?_  
_Clinging on, clinging on to life_

_The last few leaves_  
_Waiting to fall_  
_Seems fortune’s frozen for us all_

There was another round of applause and Brett, Lori and Liam left the stage. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed."

Liam was just settling in under his blankets when someone he didn't quite know came up to see him. "Sorry to bother you, but Hans isn't going to sleep, and he's asking for you. I've tried everything, but..."

Liam sighed and pulled himself out of bed. "I'm coming."

Liam looked in on Hans and the other kids. They had everyone under ten and above the age of five in the same room. There were surprisingly a lot of them. "What is it, Hans?"

"Sing to me again!"

Liam sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "Okay, but only one, and then you have to go to sleep, alright?"

"Okay. Can it be the first one that you sang? Please?" He drew the last one out longer, as if that would change Liam's mind.

"Alright. Lie down, little monster!" He kissed the top of his head. Hans laid down on his mattress and beamed up at Liam.

 _It's reaching beyond myself_  
_It's something I always find_  
_But I've hit the darkest slopes_  
_Will you be my lifeline tonight?_

 _Don't offer me your empty promises_  
_'Cause I'm way better off when the sun rises_  
_So sickness is not the end of it_  
_Will you see me through?_

 _If I needed you, couldn't tell._  
_When the silence is wrapped so tight,_  
_With everything else alone_  
_Will you be my lifeline tonight?_

 _Don't offer me your empty promises_  
_'Cause I'm way better off when the sun rises_  
_So sickness is not the end of it_  
_Will you see me through?_

 _Spiral out and it shakes me_  
_I'm full of doubt but if you only believe_  
_Show me you're sincere_  
_Take away my fears_  
_And be brave for me_  
_Be brave for me._

 _Spiral out and it shakes me_  
_I'm full of doubt but if you only believe_  
_Show me you're sincere_  
_Take away my fears_  
_And be brave for me_  
_Be brave for me._

He sang it softly, and as he did, he could see every single child yawn and stretch. When he'd finished, Hans was the only one left awake. "You go to sleep now, for me, okay? I'll be out tomorrow, but I'll come back to sing to you tomorrow night, okay?"

Hans nodded sleepily before rolling over and falling asleep. The caretakers of the children looked completely shocked. "What?"

One of the girls spoke up. She was dark skinned, with a large shape to her. She was obviously very strong, and her voice had a strong accent, although Liam couldn't place it. "You must be magical. We can never get them asleep that quickly. Not even if we sing. You were good tonight too."

"Uh..." Liam blushed. "Thanks..." Some of the girls started trying to drape themselves over him, and he made a quick exit. "I should get back to my boyfriend. See you guys." As he hurried away, he heard the girls groan. 'He's gay? Such a shame!' He smiled a little, but continued back to his room.

"You went to Hans, didn't you?"

"Yeah." Liam replied as he sank under the covers.

"And he wanted you to sing, didn't he?"

"Yes." He turned over so that Brett could wrap an arm around his waist. He didn't.

"And did you?"

Liam turned over to face Brett. "Of course I did. Why wouldn't I?"

"Liam, Hans lost his family. Don't you think he deserves a break from all that loss? If you two get attached, and you die, what is that going to do to him? If he dies, what is that going to do to you?"

"Isn't that the point of loving someone? So that when you die, they have those feelings you left them? I love him so much already. That isn't gonna change. And he's already attached. I...even now, I would protect him with my life."

"I don't want you to."

"I know you don't, because you'd do the same for me."

"You're right, I would do the same for you. And if you...if you decide that you want this...that you want him, then I'd protect him with my life too."

"I want him. You know I do. But, more importantly, he wants me."

"Okay." Brett pulled Liam close and kissed him. "Okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, but it's going to take a while to upload my next chapter, because I had about 5,000 words ready to go, but my computer shut down, and I didn't have a backup *sigh* so, it'll probably take me all of today, maybe tomorrow too to get back to where I was, and then Monday to finish it...


	10. Chapter 10

Brett woke up when Liam shook his shoulder. "Come on, it's time to go. It's just after dawn. Do you have your list of things you need to get?"

"Yeah." Brett sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Did you sleep well, Liam?"

"Yeah. You?"

"I've had better nights."

Liam got down on his level, concerned. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here, okay? You know you don't have to, but I'll listen."

"Yeah. Have you told Hans you're going?"

"Yeah, told him last night."

"Have you seen him this morning?"

"No, it's too early. He'll still be asleep."

Brett sighed and stood, pulling Liam into a tight embrace. "As much as I hate to admit it, you might not be coming back. You should go and see him, say goodbye. Don't say it like you'll never see him again, but make sure he knows that you care, okay? Do you want me to come down with you?"

"No, I'll be alright."

"Okay, I'll meet you with the others." Liam kissed Brett as he left, and Brett smiled after him. _I really love that kid. I hope I don't lose him._

Brett got ready quickly, grabbing his pack and heading downstairs. There were four people there already. One was Boyd, another was a tall, blonde-haired girl Brett didn't know the name of. The tall girl seemed to be all over Boyd, and he looked like he didn't really mind. Brett couldn't blame him. The girl _was_ quite pretty. There was also an older, Asian-looking man, and the girl from last night.

"Hey, you're name's Alice, right?"

"Yeah, and you're Brett, aren't you, Liam's boyfriend."

"Yeah. You ready?"

"Mmhm."

"So, do you know who these other two are?" Brett indicated the tall blonde and the Asian man.

"The Asian guy is Ken. He's Noshiko's husband. They lost their daughter somewhere in the fray. I feel like there's something they're not telling us, but Satomi trusts them, and that's enough for me. The other's Erica. She drapes herself over everybody. All the guys, at least. I'm surprised you haven't met her yet, since everyone just _has_ to know her."

Brett and Alice laughed a bit, and Hannah came out of nowhere. "Stop flirting with my friend!"

"I'm not flirting with her, Hannah. I'm making friends."

"Liar." Hannah crossed her arms over her chest, not looking impressed. "You flirt with everyone."

"You barely know me. Besides, I simply cannot be flirting every time I open my mouth, can I?"

"You can, and you do." She pouted like she was three years old, being told that she couldn't get the candy she wanted.

Brett laughed at her expression, which only deepened her frown. Liam came over, and it seemed to make Hannah more moody. "Hey, we all ready to go now?"

"Yeah, we're all ready to go." Brett kissed Liam, and Hannah rolled her eyes. Liam frowned a little, but mostly tried to ignore her.

On the way out, Brett fell into step with Hannah, wanting to start a conversation. She stayed stoic until they could no longer see the warehouse. Then, her shoulders fell to a somewhat normal position and her lips curled upwards slightly.

"What are you smiling about?" Brett asked softly, making Hannah jump. Her smile disappeared completely.

"Nothing." She kept her gaze locked forward and locked her jaw. Brett frowned, but let the matter drop.

A few minutes later, though, Hannah was smiling again. "Seriously, if it makes you so happy, you should tell someone about it. What are you smiling about?"

Hannah looked at him warily before answering. "I'm thinking about how much I like to be in the open air. It's refreshing, you know? I actually like that everything's stopped. It's so peaceful now. So still. The plants are already taking the place back. The animals, too. They're all so...beautiful."

"You know, Lori sometimes draws pictures. If you find her a piece of paper and some pencils, maybe she'll draw something for you. She likes rabbits, though, so don't be surprised if that's what you get."

"I wouldn't mind a picture of a rabbit. Actually, I wouldn't mind a picture of...anything. I lost all my photographs and drawings when I left home. I was really good at faces, you know?"

"I didn't know. That's great. Maybe you could draw Liam and I? I know that'd mean a lot to him, since we can't take pictures together any more." Brett bit his lip before continuing. "Maybe...if you wanted to, we could go back and get your pictures for you?"

Hannah went completely rigid again. "No. It's good to have some, but others...not so much." She looked really frantic, like all she wanted to do was run and hide.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable."

"I'm...I'm fine. Just, um, tell me about you." Hannah was staring intently at the ground.

"Alright...let's see now. I was born in Philadel-"

"No! Not like that. I don't want your whole life story. Just...tell me the good times. The times you felt loved."

"If I do, will you tell me the times _you_ felt loved?" Brett was cautious with his words, knowing he was dancing around a fire.

Hannah swallowed. "No."

_She switches, but I can see what's underneath. She tries to hide it, but she's broken, in the most horrible way. Something happened. I don't know what, but it's made her wary and, strangely, jealous. I wonder what it is._

"Okay. What about the times you've felt...happy?"

"You're not going to stop until I say yes, are you?"

"Nope." Brett smiled at her. She rolled her eyes.

"Fine. I'll tell you about the times I've felt happy if you do. You first."

"Alright. Well, the person who makes me most happy is Lori. We've shared almost everything for as long as I can remember. I'd be lost without her. I remember this one time where she was about twelve, and she was really annoying me. She was excited about...let's see...a guy. Yeah, there was a new guy in her class and she thought he was _cute_. She would constantly talk about him."

"'He has great hair, and lovely, dark skin. His brown eyes are like chocolate.' That's how she described him" Brett smiled at the memory. "I snapped at her, eventually. I told her to go away. She...a few days later, she came back with this guy. He was just as she'd described him. He turned out to be a complete ass, but she wasn't deterred. A couple of months later, she waltzed in with another guy on her arm. All so white he looked like snow. He was a nice guy, all said and done, but he didn't love Lori that way, and they drifted apart."

"She was happy with him. When Daryl, the albino boy, and her broke up, she cried for days. That made me sad. I only wanted her happiness, and she was upset. So, your turn"

Hannah sighed. "I felt happiest...when I was with my friend Melanie. She really got me, you know? We baked together a lot. I miss baking." Her gaze was set far in the distance, her lips smiling softly. _Isaac should feel lucky that he has such a beautiful girl chasing after him, gay or not._

"We would also sometimes take art classes. Mostly, just to get out of the...house." She started shutting down again, obviously trying to evade some memory come to haunt her.

Brett put a hand lightly on her shoulder, which she flinched away from. "Hey, don't think about whatever just crossed your mind. Just tell me about Melanie."

Hannah took a deep breath and started again. "Melanie was nice, not like-"

"Hannah." Brett's tone was slightly harsh, indicating a warning. Hannah flinched again. Brett immediately softened his tone and body language. "I told you, only tell me about Melanie. Only think about her. Forget everyone else."

Hannah nodded, looking distressed. "Melanie was...was...look, do I have to?"

"No, of course not. Are...I'm sorry if I made you feel-" Brett was cut off when Liam stepped up beside them. He looked wary and somewhat suspicious.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Liam, now's not really the...time." Hannah had moved up the line, now falling in step with Alice. He saw her put a comforting arm around Hannah's shoulders. "Liam, nothing's going on, if that's what you're worried about. She's a broken girl who needs help."

"We're all broken, Brett, and you can't fix everyone."

"Yeah, but maybe I can fix her."

"And what if you make it worse? Feelings aren't a broken leg. You can't just put it in a cast, splint it, and expect it to be all better in a few moths. That's not how it works."

"I know it's not, but...I feel like I should do _something_."

"She'll sort it out on her own."

"But that's the thing; I don't think she will."

"Brett, if she wants help, she'll ask for it."

"But I'm also just trying to be friendly. I talked about Lori, she talked about her friend Melanie. It was all going fine until she remembered _other people_. it was that that made her upset, Liam, and she's obviously trying to compensate for something by being like she is around Isaac."

"Then let her deal with it. Continue being friendly, whatever, but don't try to fix her. She won't thank you, and you'll probably end up hurting her." Just as Liam finished talking, Hannah fell back into step beside Brett.

"You're probably wondering what made me upset, but I'm not ready to tell you. I...I might later, but not now."

"Don't worry, I won't push you. Talk when you're ready."

Hannah smiled sheepishly at Brett. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." She disappeared again, back up to where Alice was. Brett smiled at her back. He'd just made a new friend.

They were just passing by a Wlamart, and Brett asked why they weren't checking it out "It'll probably have pretty much everything we need, and it looks practically untouched. There probably won't be any zombies in there."

"But there might be people. It's too risky."

"You never even checked it out? What if the people in there need help?" Brett knew that arguing probably wasn't going to get him anywhere, but he had to try. "There might not even be any people in there anyway. We just don't know."

"I agree with Brett. We've got seven fully armed people, all experienced fighters. We should check it out at least. If it's free, it could provide us food for at least two weeks." Alice said.

"I'm on their side. Brett saved Danny, Lucas and I pretty much single handedly from Donovan. I saw how close he was sometimes to leaving Danny and Lucas behind. He thought they were too soft. If Brett thinks he can save people, I'm with him."

"I agree with Boyd. If anyone can save those people, if there are any, it'll be Brett." Liam looked up at Brett, who smiled back down at him.

"Hannah? Erica? What do you think?" Ken asked, glancing between the two girls.

"I don't care." Erica huffed, examining her nails.

Hannah was the last to speak her mind. "That's a lot of supplies we could get. And there are seven of us. We should do it."

"Alright then. Let's advance cautiously. No sudden movements, keep low." Ken instructed. They didn't need to be told twice. They knew what was at stake here.

They crept towards the double glass doors at the front of the building. The doors had been forced open. One of them looked warped, but they were otherwise intact. Ken motioned the others back a little and slipped through first. Boyd followed closely behind him, pointing his crossbow at any would-be attackers. The shop seemed to be empty. Just as Liam was through, Brett caught movement.

"Hey, I see you! Come out, hands up." He shouted it to the darkness. The movement stopped, and Boyd whirled around to see a trio of children. Two boys and one girl. The smaller boy was stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide. The bigger boy was pulling on his arm, and the girl was tensed. She was bigger and obviously older than the other two. She had a small knife and a pistol, which she was pointing at them with shaking hands.

"This...get out." He voice wavered at first, but when she commanded that they take their leave, her words were hard as steel. "This is our place." Her hands had stopped shaking.

"Anika?" The smaller boy tried to turn her attention to himself, eyes still wide with fear. Brett was relieved that it was only children, but he knew how dangerous that gun could be. He stepped forward slowly, but Anika snapped her attention to the movement.

"Hey, it's okay. Anika, right?" Anika nodded. He could see the distrust set deep in her eyes. It might take someone else to get through to her. "Listen, Anika. Do you know how many people die from accidental shootings?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Anika snapped.

"Well, a lot of the time, when people are holding a gun, they shoot someone they don't intend to." He saw her eyes, for the briefest moment, flick to the smaller boy. "What's your name?" He asked him gently.

"Sam." The older boy shot him a look, but the damage was already done.

"You might shoot Sam. You don't want to do that, do you?" Anika looked at him with a mixture of distrust and fear. She slowly shook her head. The gun hadn't dropped, but her grip was looser. Brett knelt down and gripped the barrel of the gun. "Anika, can I have this? Just to make sure you don't hurt anybody? We won't hurt you, I promise. Okay?" Anika's fingers loosened their grip and she gave him the gun.

Brett breathed a sigh of relief and took the magazine out. He emptied the chamber and let the bullet fall to the ground. The noise made something stir in one of the back rooms. "What's back there, Anika?"

Anika tensed. "Nothing."

"Mom's hurt." Sam blurted, clearly afraid. "Can you help her?" Anika and the older boy shared a look. _Bitten._

"Is anyone else back there?"

"No."

"Yes. Why are you lying to them? Maybe they can help mom and dad. They're still moving, which means-"

"Sam." The older boy spoke for the first time. "Don't. They need to leave. We were doing fine on our own."

"And when your food runs out? What will you do then? Guns attract unwanted attention, and there aren't many places left to scavenge in this area. There'll be other people around, probably not as friendly as us. You won't survive on your own. Besides, there are other children where we live. How old are you, Sam?"

"Sam, don't."

"Seven." Sam looked at his brother, which it was obvious that they were. They looked too similar for it to be coincidence. "Max, I'm tired of hiding. I want to run around in the sun and play with other people. I mean, it's been great spending time with you and Anika, but I'm getting tired of this place. Please."

Brett could see that Anika was already caving. He didn't know anything else about her, but she loved her brother with everything she had. "You can stay together. We won't separate you. And you'll be able to make friends. We have a big warehouse where we stay. It's big enough for all of you. You'll be safe." Anika's resolve was cracking. "We have books, and boardgames."

"Books?" Anika's entire mannerisms changed when Brett mentioned books. "Are there a lot?"

"Yeah. What kind of books do you like?"

Anika bit her lip and looked at the floor. "Fantasy." She mumbled.

"Cool. I like fantasy too, but my favourite is learning about the human body. I like nursing books and factual books about disease. What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Well, I always wanted to be an actor, but I suppose I won't be able to do that any more."

"Nonsense. I'm sure someone will be prepared to act with you for a performance. We've got a stage, and Liam, my sister and I sometimes sing there. Would you like that? To hear us sing?"

Brett could see Max starting to take an interest. _A singer._ "So, do you like singing, Max?"

The response was immediate; all traces of a smile vanished from his face and he stiffened where he stood. "No."

Liam appeared beside Brett, making him jump. "Can I ask you something?"

Max looked guarded still, but was more open. Brett decided to try something else. He sat back completely and leaned a shoulder against Liam's. Again, an immediate response. Sam looked the same, but both Max and Anika relaxed. "Okay."

Liam smiled a little. "What happened to your parents?" The question set them on edge again. Anika moved to be a little in front of Sam. "Okay, okay. Maybe not the best question to ask, but an important one. Sam seems to not be in the know about something. He's going to find out eventually, so why not tell him now?"

"He won't find out, because we'll never open the door. No one will." Brett was confused as to why she said this in the open until he saw Max with Sam a little way away from the group, talking to him softly. "They were bitten. Well, dad was. Then, he bit mom. She told us to go, shut the door. He won't ever know, okay? He can't handle that."

"I'm pretty sure your brother is stronger than you think."

"You don't know Sam, how mom and dad treated him." Her tone grew just a little bitter. "Like he was the king of the world. He could do nothing wrong."

"And you suffered for it, am I right?"

She shut down again, and Brett and Liam decided that they probably wouldn't get anything else from her today. "So, you want to leave them here? Just as they are, so that Sam will never know?" Anika nodded. "Don't you think he'll fight?"

"Of course he will. But he'll listen to Max. He loves Max. He'll go wherever Max does."

"Alright. We'll take as much from here as we can and head back. We'll have to get to the hospital some other day." Ken said, making quick decisions. "Brett, you won't be able to get much of what you need. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, I'll just help Liam carry potting mix and stuff."

"Okay. Well, we' better get moving then." Liam led him to the gardening section and gave him a couple of bags of potting mix. "It'd be easier if we had some way of-ah!" Liam raced off and got a trolley. "I know it'll make a bit of noise, but since we don't have bikes, it'll make the trip easier. Besides, if less people are carrying stuff, we have more hands to fight with if we do get in a sticky situation."

"Good thinking, love." Liam's nose scrunched up at the name, and Brett laughed, kissing it. "Not your kind of nickname, sweetheart?"

"Can we just stick to Liam unless you're flirting with me, please?" Liam sighed.

"And what do you want me to call you when I'm flirting with you, babe? Just as a reference point?"

Liam stood up on his tip-toes and leaned on Brett's chest. He wasn't quite tall enough to reach, but he didn't seem to mind. "Anything you like, baby." Just as Brett was ducking his head for a kiss, Liam pulled away. "Ah, ah, ah, you don't get kisses yet. You have to wait until we're home." Brett smirked and pinched his butt. Liam laughed and danced away from his reach, coming back and dumping a bag of fertiliser in the cart. He also got a hose and some blue bubble-looking things.

"What are those?"

"Hmm?" Brett picked up the blue bubbles. "Oh, those. they soak up water, and gradually release it so that you don't have to water the plants as much. They're really great for when you get a lot of rain. The also provide protection from snow. It's just a precautionary measure, in case we haven't properly sealed the plant beds up. we _really_ don't want the plants to get frostbite."

Brett frowned. "I didn't know that plants _could_ get frostbite."

"Shows how much you know about plants. Most of our plants should be safe in the greenhouse, but we still want the trees to survive. It'll take a while for the seeds we planted to grow into saplings, so we'll need them to survive the winter. The apples will be fine; they're a winter fruit, but the summer fruits like the plums, apricots and nectarines won't have it so easy. when we imported fruit, it wasn't so much of a problem, but now we have to grow it all ourselves, we'll have more of a problem when it comes to fruit and vegetables in the winter."

"Hearing you talk about vegetables makes my head spin. I have no idea what you're going on about. Then again, I suppose you wouldn't have any clue what _I_ was talking about if I told you some of the medical terminologies I know."

"You're right there. You'd blind me with science."

"Really?"

"What? It was an amusing song. Perfect chance for it, too." Liam took a final look around. "I think I've got anything worth getting."

They headed back to the others, and some of them deposited their stuff in the trolley, but they were mostly unburdened. Boyd had the most, having taken bows and hunting knives from the weapons part of the store. Most of the non-perishables had been eaten by Anika, Max and Sam, so Hannah didn't have much. Ken didn't have a list, so he was completely free. Erica had a fair amount of equipment, having taken some wooden beams that weren't too long and some more hammers, nails and screwdrivers. Brett didn't have anything, and Alice had everything she needed.

They left the supermarket and headed back to the warehouse. It was only a forty-five minute walk, but Sam looked like he was falling asleep on his feet. Boyd, seeing him struggle, eventually gave in and let him ride on his shoulders. Brett smiled. Liam walked off to talk to him. Soon after, Anika started looking pretty tired too. They were obviously tense and worn out from the events of the day. Alice picked Anika up, despite her being at least ten years old. Max put up a strong front, and gave a valiant effort to keep it up, but when they were almost there, he started swaying on his feet. Brett smiled and, much to Max's dismay, picked him up too.

"I'm old enough to walk on my own." He grumbled, though he was practically asleep already.

"Yeah, I could really tell by the way you were wobbling all over the road."

Max pouted and folded his arms over his chest. "Was not."

"Go to sleep, Max. You'll be alright, big man." Max tried to stay awake for as long as he could, but he eventually drifted off.

  


"Liam," Brett said softly, "go and get Hans." Liam nodded and went into the nursery. He came back with Hans walking at his side. "I know I was reluctant about you taking care of Hans, but-"

"I get it. It's okay. So, upstairs to bed, huh?" Brett smiled and nodded. He carried Max up to their room on the third floor and smiled to see that Sam was already nestled in between Boyd and Danny.

Liam tucked Hans in first, slipping underneath the covers behind him. Brett set Max beside Hans, and he shifted a little. Hans curled an arm around Max's waist and pulled him close. Brett smiled; he might be seven, but Hans was smart -he knew what this meant and was embracing it fully. Brett was the last to get into bed. He kissed Liam quickly on the lips before kissing Hans' forehead, and then Max's.

Brett cast a final glance around the room. Corey and Scott were snuggled up together - Brett suspected that their relationship was merely for companionship, as his relationship with Isaac had been. He looked at Isaac, curled around Hannah's small frame. She'd fallen into bed as soon as she'd gotten back. Despite what Liam had said, Brett suspected that Isaac, deep down, was developing feelings for Hannah. He hoped he was; she deserved the love and affection.

Brett looked at Boyd and Danny. They were just friends, at least for now, but from the way they held Sam, they were going to become closer over the next few years, whether they liked it or not. Brett smiled down at Liam. Now this was a boy he didn't want mere companionship from - he loved this boy with his whole heart. He held Hans and Max close. _He would have made a great husband, a great father._ Then, he corrected himself. _No, he **will** be a great husband and father._ Brett was truly happy as he climbed into bed and pulled himself closer to Max, Hans and Liam - his family.


	11. Chapter 11

Isaac woke when Hannah did. She kissed him good morning and Isaac felt a small ember of warmth lodge itself in his heart. He looked over at Brett and Liam, and it was immediately stamped out.

Some new kid was sprawled on top of Hans, Liam's arm draped over them. Brett was behind Liam, pulling him to his chest. He felt a tide of jealousy wash over him. He turned back to Hannah, not wanting to look at them any longer than necessary. He kissed Hannah again, but all traces of happiness had left him. "Hey, what happened yesterday? There are new people here."

Hannah took them down to breakfast and told him what had happened. Isaac grew distressed as Hannah told him about Brett taking the gun from Anika. He let Hannah finish and then found Brett. He followed him with his eyes until Brett went upstairs.

Isaac stood in the doorway, waiting for Brett to notice him. Everyone else had gone already, so it was just them. Brett seemed startled by his presence, when he finally noticed him. "Hey, Isaac. How are you?" He looked really uncomfortable.

"Why so brusque, Brett? We used to be..." Isaac stepped forward, closer to Brett. He eyed him warily. "More than friends." He finished, hurt by Brett's behaviour. He wanted him to at least acknowledge that it happened.

"Yes, we did, Isaac, but not any more. I have Liam, and Max, and Hans to take care of now."

Brett backed up when Isaac took another step forward. Isaac chose to ignore this and his answer. "Hannah told me what happened yesterday. You could have died taking that gun, Brett. She could have shot you." Isaac stepped even closer and backed Brett against the wall.

Brett's face could have been made of stone for all its rigidity. "I don't have time for this, Isaac. Let me go." Isaac shook his head and placed his hands on either side of Brett's shoulders.

"No. You...we had...what we were was-"

"It meant nothing to me, Isaac. Nothing. I held you close for warmth and companionship, nothing more." Isaac recoiled. He pushed on, though - he would not be deterred by mere words.

He pressed his lips to Brett's. Brett stiffened, not kissing back, not pushing away. Isaac, after a few moments of trying to get Brett to respond, pulled back. "We used to kiss, Brett. And you would kiss back. You can't deny that you loved me."

"I can and I will. Let me go, Isaac." There was a strange look in Brett's eye that made Isaac consider backing off.

He shook himself and tried again. He kissed Brett again, more forcefully this time. He pressed Brett against the wall with his body and cupped his cheek with his hand. He whined when Brett didn't react again. "Why don't you kiss back?" Brett was breathing heavily. Isaac felt desperation overtake him. He kissed Brett again and this time, there was a reaction. Brett put his hands on Isaac's chest and _pushed_. Isaac flew back across the room, stumbling into the wall beside the door. He was taken aback by this violence.

"Leave me alone Isaac." Brett growled out. Isaac shrank back against the wall. These mannerisms were almost an exact replica of what his father used to do. Isaac tentatively reached forward, but Brett cast him aside. He whirled on Isaac, and he shrank back against the wall again, trying to make himself as small as possible. Suddenly, Liam was there.

"Brett. Brett. Hey, calm down." Liam spoke quickly, but calmly. "Brett, come on. Calm down. You're okay." Brett's gaze shifted from Isaac to Liam. "Who are you protecting? Is it you?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." Isaac had no idea what they were talking about, but he was grateful for Liam's presence. He felt hollow in his chest. There was no way Brett was like that...right? He was so kind and gentle and compassionate. Liam led Brett out of the room and Isaac listened intently to their conversation.

"You were about to blow up in his face."

"He deserved it." Brett's harsh words cut through Isaac's heart like a scalpel. He felt hot tears running down his cheeks.

"No, he didn't. No, Brett, whatever he did, it wasn't worth that. Did you see him? Did you? You told me about his dad, and you've just scared him."

"He deserved that. He was kissing me, pretending we were like before. We're _not_ like before, Liam. This is different. We have Max and Hans to worry about. I don't want him thinking that things can go back to how they were. They can't." Isaac wondered at Liam's understanding of his situation. _Maybe his dad beat him too?_ The thought filled him with anguish. He would never wish that upon anyone else, ever. Not even someone he was endlessly jealous of. He also felt jealous of...he stopped that train of thought. _Jealous of Brett? Why would I feel like that?_ Even as he asked it, he knew the answer. Brett had a family, people to call his home. He had, essentially, sons, and he was treating them right. He had a husband, or what qualified as one, at his side, who was understanding and loving. Isaac thought about Hannah and what he'd felt that morning. He wanted to talk to Corey.

"Brett, just because you feel like that doesn't mean that he deserves to have you blow up in his face. Go in and apologise, and mean it. Sure, what he did was pretty bad too, but..."

"Okay." Isaac slipped around the pair as they kissed briefly. Brett opened the door to their room. "He's gone." Isaac turned away from them and went to find Corey.

Corey was, as he always was, with the children. He was reading them a story, but when he saw Isaac, he set it aside and asked Scott to take over. "Isaac?"

"Corey, I...I don't know what to do." Corey bit his lip and looked at Scott, who nodded.

"Okay. Come with me." Corey sat them down on one of the benches. "What happened?"

"I...I saw Brett and Liam this morning with Max and Hans, and...I felt jealous. I...I asked Hannah what had happened yesterday, and she told me that Brett hand taken a _live gun_ from a little girl's hands. A _live_. _Gun_. I...I went to see him, and we takled about before, and he said that it meant _nothing_ and I got upset and I kissed him."

"What did he do?"

"Nothing. He didn't kiss back, didn't push me away. So I...I kept going." Corey groaned and put his head in his hands. "I know. I kissed him three times before he did anything, and the way he stood, the look in his eye...it reminded me of dad." Isaac's voice was low, and Corey peeked through his fingers."He'd pushed me across the room. It was so...he was so _strong_ , Corey." Isaac was speaking through tears. "I tried to reach out to him, because he's _not_ like that. He _can't_ be. But he...he threw me aside again. And...and...and then Liam was there. He calmed him down. He said that I...that I deserved what he'd done, but Liam disagreed. He said that Brett should apologise, but I'd already slipped past them to see you" Corey opened his mouth to respond, but Isaac stopped him. "There's one more thing; when Brett mentioned Max and Hans, I...I got jealous, but not of Liam for having Brett, for having the kids with Brett, but...of Brett, for having them."

Corey nodded slowly. "Have you talked to Brett yet?"

"No. I came here first."

"Okay. Tell Brett how you feel. Don't suffocate him like you did before. Ask him to talk to you, and if he does, do it in an open area. If he doesn't, move on. It's not your problem if he refuses to work this out with you. Although, being Brett, I highly doubt that he'll say no."

"I don't know...you didn't see him. He was...angry."

Corey sighed. "Just try, Isaac. You'll never know if you don't try."

"Okay." Isaac and Corey stood and embraced. Isaac went to find Brett. He checked the infirmary, and found him tending to someone with a sprained ankle. "Hey, can I...talk to you when you're done?"

"Yeah." Brett glanced up and seemed to tense up a bit. "Just give me a minute." Brett smiled at the girl who's ankle was sprained. "You're almost done." He cut her bandage and tied it tightly. "Okay. Don't move it too much. Try to keep your weight off it."

"Thanks." The girl hopped over to the door and gingerly put her foot down. She shuffled down the hall and down the stairs.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Brett looked really guarded.

"I just wanted to say sorry for this morning." Isaac sat to the edge of the bed. "I...when I woke up, Hannah kissed me and...it felt good. When I looked at you, though, I felt jealous." Brett sighed. "Not because if what you think. I was actually...jealous of you."

Brett frowned and looked at Isaac. He sat next to him on the mattress. "What?"

"Yeah, I was confused too, but...with my mum leaving me when I was young, and my dad beating me, I didn't really have a great experience with family. So seeing you...seeing Liam holding those kids like-like they were _precious_ it..."

"But then, why wouldn't you be jealous of _them_?"

"Well, that's the thing; I've accepted that what happened happened, and it won't change but...I've always wanted to give someone else a home, somewhere to be safe, somewhere where they're loved and...you do that with Liam and Hans, and that new kid, Max."

Brett was quiet for a long time. Finally, he stood up and went about his business. "I'm sorry too, Isaac. I know...I know that you're father...I _knew_ and I snapped at you. But, you know...you should talk to Liam and Hannah. Liam would appreciate hearing why you did what you did, and Hannah...Hannah will tell you herself what's going on in her life. You're lucky to have her."

"I know." Isaac whispered as he left.

Isaac found Liam in the gardens. "Liam, can I talk to you for a second?"

Liam smiled at him brightly as he wiped his hands on a cloth. _Man, why was I jealous of Liam for having Brett? I should have been jealous of Brett for having Liam. That smile could probably replace the sun._ "Hey. Did Brett apologise for earlier?"

"Yeah, he did, but I wanted to...to apologise to you." Liam frowned and pulled Isaac off to one of the benches in the gardens. "I was just talking to Brett, and he said I should come here, to talk to you."

"Of course he did."

"Liam...I really am happy with Hannah, but...you two are something else. I guess what I'm asking is..." Isaac bit his lip. "No, I shouldn't ask this without talking to Hannah first. I just...I want you to know that...you're lucky. To have Brett, that is, and Max, and Hans." Isaac stood and started to walk away when Liam grabbed his arm.

"You were going to ask if you and Hannah could..." he frowned, picking his words. "Become a part of our family, weren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I know that Brett cares about Hannah. We'll talk about it later. I don't know if I'll agree, and we'll need to ask Hans and Max, but let's talk about it, yeah?"

"Okay." Isaac smiled as he went to talk to Hannah. He went to the kitchens, and found her there. She was working on making dinner for everyone. "Hey, Hannah."

"Hi, Isaac." She smiled brightly at him. "I'll be with you in a moment." She finished chopping up her vegetables before dropping them into a steaming pot. "We've got some pig on the spit today. Our scavenging party came back early." She smiled at him again. "So, what's up?"

"I...can we do this more privately?" Hannah shrugged and led him into the dining area. "Okay, so, I talked to Brett and Liam and...I was...we were talking about seeing each other...together, if you know what I mean."

"I don't." Hannah said shortly, frowning.

"Well, basically, we want to talk about all of us - you, me, Brett and Liam - being in one relationship together."

"No." Hannah said definitively.

"Please at least think about it?"

"No." She stood up and left. Isaac was completely dumbstruck. He would have thought that Hannah would be all for it. Dazed, he went to work on the scaffolding. The project manager, Matt, looked like he was going to get mad at him, but he backed off at the look in Isaac's eyes.

"Don't be late again, Isaac." Is all he said as Isaac passed him.

  


  


**Brett's POV**

  


  


Liam went up to the infirmary, wanting to tell Brett about Isaac's desire for a love square, or whatever it was that he wanted. Brett listened, his confusion growing with each word that left Liam's mouth. _Why would either of them agree to this? I thought Isaac wanted a family, not a poly-amorous relationship. What is he doing?_ When Liam had finished, Brett raised his eyebrows. "No."

"What?" Liam looked both shocked and hurt.

"What do you mean, 'what'? Of course I'd say no, Liam. I'm gay. Like, one hundred percent, and you want me sharing love with not only Isaac - who, by the way, you were jealous of before - but also Hannah. What makes you think that _Hannah_ will say yes? You saw how guarded and jealous she was yourself. If you really thought that Hannah would say yes, you're head's either on backwards, or you're mind's been clouded by wishful thinking. My answer's no."

"But that's why we were going to _talk_ about it, Brett. Maybe Hannah will say yes. Maybe _I'll_ say yes. Maybe Hans and Max will say yes, and then we can have a big, happy family. I'm not saying that we should definitely go through with this. I'm just asking for a chance. Please. Give it a go. If we don't like it, we can stop."

"No. Even if Hannah did say yes, Liam, I'm still gay. I wouldn't want any part in her side of the box. And if both Hannah and Isaac said yes, do you really think that Isaac would then pay any attention to Hannah? Would you?"

Liam looked taken aback. "Well..."

"My answer's no, Liam. I'm happy with who and what I've got now."

Liam blinked a few times. "Okay." He said quietly. "Okay." Brett brought his hand up to Liam's cheek. 

"Let's go down and see Hans and Max, okay?"

"Okay." Liam sounded like a ghost.

"Liam, look at me." Liam did. "Liam, you know I said no for not only Hannah, but you, right? I said no because I thought that you would feel suffocated in that type of relationship. Isaac would too. And you know what, I would as well. None of us would have thrived. We would all have gone crazy, all too polite to tell each other what was going on in our own heads." Brett could see that it wasn't working. "Liam, I love you, and only you. Okay? I love you."

Liam nodded and allowed himself to be pulled into a hug. "I love you too." They walked slowly down the stairs to where Max and Hans were playing with Anika and Sam.

"Hey, Hans, Max. Come here for a second." Brett saw Alice on the other side of the room, and smiled at her. She was next to Boyd, who was looking at Sam with the biggest smile on his face. Alice smiled back at Brett before turning to talk to Boyd. _She likes him._ Anika walked over to Boyd and Alice, Sam trailing behind her.

Hans slid onto Brett's lap as he sat down on the ground. Max looked like he wanted to do the same, but he held back. Liam held his arms out. "Come here." Max hesitated for a few more moments before moving closer. Liam slowly wrapped his arms around Max. "Hey, I just realised that we don't know anything about you. How about your age? How old are you?"

"Six. Sam's four and Anika's nine. We were with another boy, but he died."

"Okay, and how about what you like? What are your hobbies?" Liam kissed Max's cheek.

"I like singing. I like acting with Anika. I like telling stories and playing with Sam. I like building things, too." Max looked over at Hans. "What about you?"

"I'm seven, and I like gardening."

Brett spoke up next. "I'm twenty, and I like singing and reading about the human body. I love tending to injuries and helping people."

"I'm seventeen years old and I love singing and reading. I also like gardening, like Hans."

Brett looked at Max, and saw how he looked uncomfortable. "Liam, can you take Hans?"

Liam looked at Brett, frowning. Brett flicked his eyes down to Max. Liam looked down at Max, and understanding dawned in his eyes. "Yeah. Hans." Hans stood and Liam gently pushed Max off his lap. Liam took Hans' hand and led him away. When they'd gone, Max looked questioningly at Brett.

"What's going on?" Max asked.

Brett smiled at Max. "I wanted to talk to you alone." There was a flash of fear in Max's eyes. "Hey, no, it's okay. It's okay, I won't hurt you. I just want you to know...I know your mum or your dad did something to you and Anika. Whatever they did, that won't happen here. We love you, Max. We're going to take care of you, okay? You don't have to tell us what happened, but if you do, we'll know how to help you through that. I don't doubt that you can handle it, but things are always better when handled together."

Max furrowed his brow and looked up at Brett. "Okay."

"Are you going to tell me?" Brett asked tentatively, reaching out slowly. Max held back a bit before stepping forward into Brett's reach. Max plopped himself down on Brett's lap, leaning against his chest.

"He wouldn't do this. Wouldn't allow me to do this." He looked down at his hands. Brett rubbed small circles in his back. "He...when Anika was born, he wanted a son. He treated her like a son. He beat her for not being a son. And when I came, I stood up for her. He was then adamant that we were sleeping together. He'd lock us in a room together. We don't know why. It was a small room. Sometimes, he wouldn't let us out until I'd...we'd done things. He'd tell us what he wanted, and we'd do it, and he'd watch."

"Max...that's...what about Sam?"

"Sam? Sam was his little angel. He could do nothing wrong. He never touched him. Ever. Not that I'd let him. Neither Anika or I would have let him hit Sam. I protected Sam, and Anika taught him everything. Mum was a ghost. She never did anything. I think she had cancer. Never would have known, though. Dad never took any of us to the doctor, not even Sam."

Tears were flowing down his cheeks. Brett held him close and Max wrapped his arms around Brett's neck, sobbing. Brett stood and took him to where Liam was. Liam stood, looking concerned, when Brett came in.

"Is he okay?"

"Not really." Brett handed Max to Liam, and he held him close too. "His dad...I'll tell you later." Liam looked incredibly sad as he nodded.

"Hey, Brett, can I talk to you?" Hannah's voice made Brett turn around.

Brett looked at her for a moment. She looked distressed. Brett turned back, and Liam nodded. "Yeah, just give me a second." He kissed Max's forehead, then Liam's, then Hans'.

Hannah led Brett out into the hall. She sighed. "Isaac just talked to me about us four being in a relationship together."

"Yeah, I said no."

"I said no too. I...I wouldn't be well-suited to that. That's actually why I came to talk to you. You said...you said that I could talk to you when I was ready and...I'm ready." Hannah sighed again, steeling herself. "Mum was...highly religious. She was convinced I had the devil in me. I'm surprised she let Melanie near me. She thought she was an angel. Maybe she thought Melanie would 'cleanse' me. Either way, she kept me sane. It's not like I don't know why she thought that. I...it's easier to show you. Follow me."

Brett was confused, but he followed Hannah, who walked around the gardens for a while. Finally, Brett lost his patience. "What are you looking for?"

"Something dead." Brett was taken aback. "It's not what you think. Just...help me find something dead. An animal, preferably."

"Okay." Brett looked around the garden and found a small bird. "Over here." Hannah came over and looked at it. Seemingly satisfied, she knelt down.

"Watch closely, because it drains me quite a bit." Brett kneeled next to her. She reached out and touched the bird's breast. The bird's wings fluttered, startling Brett. The bird kept twitching until it finally started breathing again. It flipped over onto its feet and hopped about before flying away.

"Wow. How did you do that?"

"Necromancy." Brett looked at her, shocked. "Don't worry, I'm not a demon. I found someone else like me. His name was Jordan. He found out about it because he was legally dead when he rose. They were having an open-casket funeral when he rose. They all ran away, afraid. Mum would tell my boyfriends that I could bring things back from the dead, and they ran from me. That's why I'm a jealous person. I've never had a boyfriend stay with me for longer than twelve days. I _need_ Isaac, Brett. Please don't tell him. Don't tell anyone."

"I won't. It's okay. You're not a monster. But...there has to be a price, right?"

"If there is, I don't know what it is. I...I try to use this as little as possible. I'm sure you understand why."

"I do. Listen, I should get back to Liam, and you should go to Isaac. I think you should tell him." There was a flicker of fear in her eyes. "You don't have to, and I promise I won't tell, but I think he'll surprise you."

"Alright."

"Hey, you mentioned your house. Is it...nearby? Just wondering."

"Yeah...it's 2834 Nature road."

"Cool. Good to know." They said their goodbyes, and Brett went off to find a map.

  


"Liam, I want to take you out somewhere. It's only half an hour away. Let's get Hans and Max downstairs before we go, though."

"Okay..." Liam roused Hans and Max, holding their hands as they descended the stairs.

They'd been walking for about ten minutes when Liam finally asked. "Where are we going?"

"To Hannah's house."

"Oh, God, no, Brett. We've been over this. You can't fix her."

"I'm not intending to. I just want to get some of her drawings and her pad and pencils. Maybe some photographs."

"Alright, fine. But you should know that I'm not at all happy about this."

"I know." Brett led the way down Nightingale road before turning off onto Nature road. He came to a stop outside a small house. "This is the one."

Liam sighed and pushed the door open. He stopped in the doorway. "Oh my God."

"What?"

"Jesus."

"What?"

" _Jesus._ " Liam said again, spreading his arms wide. Brett pushed gently on his lower back and he took a few steps forward.

"Wow." Brett breathed as he glanced around the room. _Jesus_ was right. There was religious imagery everywhere. There were crosses and paintings and bible quotes decorating the walls. There was a prayer table with candles and incense, as well as an open bible. There was a bookshelf, stocked with religious texts. Brett almost expected hymns to start playing in the background. It looked like the set of 'Carrie'.

"So, do you know which room's hers?"

"Nope." Brett started opening doors. "I'm gonna take a wild guess, though, and say it's in the attic." He ascended the stairs. He opened the door at the top. This room was completely different. There was still religious imagery, but there were also marks on the wall - red marks. Brett moved around the room and saw what it was. In blood-red paint, there were the words; 'Go back to Hell, demon spawn'. "Liam. Liam, don't come up here." It was already too late, though. Liam poked his head around the corner.

"God, well this is just morbid. This is terrible. Who would do this? Why?" Brett pushed Liam out of the room and wrapped him in a tight embrace.

"I don't know, Liam. But stay here, okay? I want to find those drawings, and you look really upset." Liam opened him mouth to protest, but Brett placed both hands on his shoulders. "Please."

"Okay." Brett smiled softly and kissed him. He turned back and looked through Hannah's room.

In the room, he found a lot of drawings, mostly of people. There was one girl, drawn over and over. Brett guessed that she was Melanie. Brett looked under Hannah's bed and found a small envelope filled with pictures. It felt wrong to look at them, but he opened the envelope and saw a young woman smiling at a two-year-old, which he guessed was Hannah. The next picture was of Hannah and an older man. Hannah was still young, maybe three or four, and the man looked somewhat like Hannah's father. The next picture was of a dog, held lovingly in Hannah's arms. There was a girl next to her, bearing many similarities to the pictures Hannah had drawn. He turned it over, looking for a name.

 _My first resurrection. Melanie's dog Hope. July 1997._ Brett turned the picture over again. Hannah looked to be about five or six, Melanie the same age. _It's 2019 now, so she must be twenty-eight. She was still living in this environment at the age of twenty-seven? Why didn't she leave? Was she **allowed** to leave?_ Brett quickly tucked the rest of the photographs into the envelope without looking at them. He gathered her drawings into one pile and picked up two drawing pads along with a cup of pencils.

"Liam." He called gently. "Can you help me carry some of this please?" Liam stood and Brett placed the two drawing pads and the pencils in his hands.

"Are you sure she's going to appreciate this, Brett?"

"No." Brett conceded. "But, it's the thought that counts, right?"

"Alright. Let's head back. I really hope she likes this..."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another sex scene inspired by red_to_black, this time one in After The Fall. Such a great writer, with such awesome stories!

Brett and Liam got back just before sundown. They found Hannah setting out the food for that evening. "Hannah!" Brett called to her. "I got you something!"

Hannah frowned and wiped her hands on her apron. "Yeah?"

Brett gave her the envelope first. She looked at it, smiled, and dragged him out into the gardens, where she wrapped him in a tight hug. Liam stepped forward and gave her her drawings. She hugged him too. "Thanks. This really means a lot, guys. I...hold still." She put the books, pencils and photographs down. She pushed Brett back into a chair and pushed Liam onto his lap. She arranged their limbs until their positions suited her. She took her drawing pad and pencils. Hannah started to sketch them.

It took an hour, but finally, she was done. "You can move now." She showed them what she'd done.

"Wow, it's really good. Thank you so much!" Liam hugged her quickly. "Can we have it?"

"Of course." She handed Liam the picture and he thanked her again. He then went to find some tacks. Someone had some tacks, and Liam got two. He hung the picture up in their room. Brett walked in and saw it.

"I like it." He said, wrapping his arms around Liam's waist. "I need to get to the infirmary. I've got the night shift."

"Alright. I'll say hi to Boyd then."

"Cool. You'll be alright sleeping alone, right?"

"I won't be alone. I'll get Hans and Max, sleep with them." Liam stood on his tip-toes. "Give me a kiss." Brett obliged, and they stayed attached for a few minutes before breaking away. "Have fun on your shift."

"Yeah right." Brett bid him goodnight and exited the room. Liam sighed and went to find Boyd, Alice and Danny.

  


"Hey guys. How's it going?" Alice was squeezed tightly in between Body and Danny. Liam sat opposite them.

"Yeah, good. How are you? The boys?" Alice asked kindly.

"They're good. Brett's on the graveyard shift at the infirmary."

"Right. So, are you wanting someone to talk to?" Liam suddenly noticed that they didn't want him here.

"Uh, yeah...but I can find Hannah and Isaac." Her eyebrows rose. "We figured out our differences. It's all fine."

"That's good." Liam smiled, stood and bid them goodnight. He hung back to look at them. They talked quietly in amongst themselves. Alice turned to Boyd, and they kissed. Alice and Danny repeated the action just seconds later. They all seemed happy enough with each other, so Liam went to find Hans and Max.

"Hey Max. Do you know where Hans is?"

"Yeah...he's over there, with Lucy." He pointed to a blonde girl about Hans' age. They were playing with a train set that one of the scavengers picked up last week, just before they'd arrived.

"Do you want to come over with me?"

Max shook his head. "I don't really like Lucy. She's bossy."

Liam walked over to Hans and knelt down next to him. "Hey Hans. Did you have a good day?"

"Yeah. I had a great day. I was playing with Max earlier, and I took him around the gardens. He said he wasn't particularly interested, but he helped fix some stuff. I have no idea what he did."

Liam looked over at Max with a smile. "A builder, huh?" He looked around the room before spotting some books. "I know it's not bedtime yet, but do you want to pick a book? I'll take you upstairs and read to you, okay?"

"Okay." Liam told Max to do the same thing as Hans went to pick something out. Once they'd got something, Liam led them up to their room. He considered asking for one of their own, without having to share, but decided against it. Hans had a thin book, named 'Merrow'. Liam chose this one first, over Max's 'Midwinterblood'. He opened it and started reading.

" _Auntie Ushag said I wasn't fit to be around. She said it was beyond her how a body could be so prickly and dark. She said it gave her the Screaming Purples just to look at me, always lying about looking sideways at her like a reptile on a rock. That if I couldn't raise myself on my hind legs and help, the least I could do was Go Away and leave her to it._ " Liam stopped reading, looking down at Hans. "She doesn't sound very nice."

"Keep going! I've read it twice already. There are words I don't know later. It's a good story."

"I don't know Hans...maybe we should give Midwinterblood a go? Have you read that one?"

"No. It's a girly one."

"Let's try it. I'll come back to this one later, okay?" Liam handed Merrow back to Hans and took Midwinterblood. " _The sun does not go down."_

" _This is the first thing that Eric Sven notices about Blessed Island. There will be many other strange things that he will notice, before the forgetting takes hold of him, but that will come later._ "

" _For now, he checks his watch as he stands at the top of the island's solitary hill, gazing to where the sun should set. It has gone midnight, but the sun still shines, barely dipping its heavy rim into the sea on the far horizon._ "

" _The island is so far north._ "

" _He shakes his head._ "

" _He's thinking about Merle. How something seems to wait in her eyes. How he felt calm, just standing next to her._ "

" _'Well, so it is,' he says, smiling with wonder._ "

" _He's tired. His journey has been a long one._ " Liam folded the cover closed and looked at the blurb. "Wow. You picked a dark story, Max. Can't say that yours is much better, Hans." He sighed. "Alright, pick the one you want me to read more of, and we'll go with that."

"Merrow," both Hans and Max said at the same time. Liam sighed again and picked up the book. " _Honour Bright, all I said was I wished she'd open her mind a bit and that she didn't know all about everything. I said she couldn't prove that our Marrey great-grandmother wasn't a merrow. She couldn't swear that Mam had run away after Pa drowned, now could she? All I said was perhaps Mam had actually just gone home to her people under the sea, and that she could come back to us one day, if she wanted to. I only said it was possible._ "

" _'What you don't witness with your eyes, don't witness with your mouth,' my aunt snapped. She could be as tight-minded and purse-mouthed as the southerners she hated so. These days she was as touchy as a slug, and wholly unreasonable. I slipped out the window with her still whittering on behind me, and was nearly away when she shouted, 'Never mind me opening the mind. what about you opening and using the door?'_ "

" _That woman had eyes in the back of her head. 'And fetch me some garlic if you can spare the time.'_ "

Liam stopped reading when Brett came in about ten minutes later. "I'm on my break. Come with me." Liam left Hans with the book, telling him to keep reading to Max.

"What's up?"

Brett didn't say anything until they'd entered one of the rooms in the infirmary. He pushed Liam up against the wall and kissed him hungrily. "Get on the bench. I've missed sex. I'm so horny, Liam."

Liam smiled and laughed. "Okay." He took his trousers off, Brett following suit. Liam hissed at the cold material hitting his thighs, but it was replaced with a moan when Brett placed himself between Liam's knees. Brett didn't waste any time, his fingers already coated with lube. Liam gripped Brett's shoulders tightly as Brett prepared him for his cock. Liam determined that Brett was taking too long. "Brett." He got the message and removed his fingers. He was about to push in when Liam stopped him. He turned around, laying his chest on the bench.

"Is that okay?" Liam nodded eagerly, and Brett took a firm grip on the back of his neck. "How about that?"

"More than okay, Brett." Brett finally pushed in, and sighed at the feeling. Liam pushed back, and Brett started moving, thrusting shallowly at first. "Brett." Liam moaned, and he got the message, going faster and deeper. Liam felt just a little bit dirty, doing this in a place meant for treating illnesses. He blushed hot, loving the feeling. Brett's pace was slipping, obviously close. Brett's hand unintentionally gave a squeeze on Liam's neck, and it was all he needed. He came, gripping the edge of the bench. Brett followed almost immediately afterwards and collapsed over Liam.

"How was that?" he panted.

"Great, but my hips kind of hurt now." Brett got off, reading the hidden message in those words. Liam stood up and rubbed his hips.

"You're sure you're alright?" He looked worried.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Liam kissed him and put his jeans back on. "When does your shift end?"

"Another hour. You should get back to the boys, get some sleep." He kissed Liam's brow. "I'll slip in when my shift's done, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks for the sex. I missed it too." Liam left and went back to their room. He smiled at Hans and Max, who were asleep. Max was holding tightly to Hans' hand, which was over his waist. Liam lay in front of him, pulling them in close. He was surprised by how tired he was. He felt his eyes slip close, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. Just before he got there, Mason's face flashed before his eyes, bright and laughing. _I miss you, buddy._

  


  


**Brett POV**

  


  


Brett finished his shift an hour after Liam had come and gone. _Haha, 'come'._ Brett didn't care if it was immature; he chuckled openly at the thought, getting a strange look from the girl on shift with him. He almost burst out laughing when he went down to sleep - Liam had one child pressed into either side, Max's head pushed underneath Liam's shirt, which had ridden up a little while he was sleeping, Hans clinging tightly to Liam's arm.

He held it in, wishing he could take a picture, just to show Liam later. He turned the gas lamp off and slipped under the covers next to Hans. He moved so quickly, Brett thought he might actually be awake. He lunged across Brett's chest, grabbing at something in his dream. He giggled a bit, settling down, holding something close to his chest. His hands were cupped as if he was holding a tiny animal, and he sighed happily. "Mummy," he whispered. "Look, a butterfly." He held his hands out, and Brett felt sadness well in his chest. "Daddy helped me catch it." Brett sighed and held Hans' hands in his own.

"It's so beautiful, baby." He didn't know if that was how his mother had spoken to him, but it seemed to calm Hans down. Brett kissed his hands, straightening Hans on his chest. As he did, he saw Hans smiling at him, eyes open. "Were you awake?"

Hans nodded. "I love you, daddy." Brett suddenly felt like crying.

"I love you too, Hans." Brett thought about what Hans had said. "Hans...when you said 'mummy'...did you mean Liam?"

"Yeah...I know he's a guy, but he just...he's so much like her. He knows so much about gardening, and he reads stories, and sings to me. I know he's not her, but I can call him mummy without thinking that he is. I know Max is far off from that, but he'll get there, I know it."

 _Is this kid really seven?_ "Okay. Well, I think you should go to sleep now. Tomorrow morning, we're going to the hospital to get some medical supplies. You, of course, will stay here, but you're going to take care of Max for me, right?"

"Yeah." Hans yawned and stretched, extending himself over Brett's upper body, before curling up into a ball. Brett smiled down at him and drifted off to sleep.

 _Brett saw Liam and Lori tied up, next to Hans and Max, also tied up. "Liam? Hans? Max? Lori?" He took a step towards them, and a knife came to rest against Hans' throat. He looked terrified._  
_"Daddy?" Hans called out, eyes wildly flicking from side to side. "I'm scared."_  
_"I know, sweetheart. I know. Daddy's coming." Even as he said it, the knife cut across Hans' throat. He cried out in anguish. "Hans! No!" He tried to take a step forward, but he was standing paralysed. He looked up when Lori let out a cry. "Lori!" Her throat was slit too._  
_"Do you want to know why I'm doing this, Brett?" Donovan's voice called to him from the darkness. "I'm doing this because you left me to die, Brett. You didn't go deep enough to cut through my windpipe, but I still bled out. So, I'm going to kill everyone you love. And don't worry about Lydia, Malia and Satomi - they're coming later." Brett felt a cold hand grip his heart._  
_"No! Please, I was only trying to free them from your rule. They were innocents. You turned them to do horrible things. You turned them to murder people. Not zombies - people."_  
_"I don't care, Brett. I just want you to pay." Max's neck was next. Brett felt like his heart was being torn into pieces. Liam looked like he was going to shatter if anyone so much as touched him. The knife came to rest against Liam's neck. Brett cried out again, trying to get Donovan to stop doing this. He tried desperately to move again, but he couldn't. The knife drew slowly across Liam's throat, and Brett could suddenly move. He rushed to Liam and gathered him in his arms. He pulled him over to Hans and Max, drawing them into his arms as well. He felt tears run down his cheeks._  
_"Daddy?" Brett looked down, and Hans was gone. The only one in his arms was Max. He clutched the small boy to his chest._  
_"Dad?" Max's voice was soft, right next to his ear._  
_"I'm right here, Max. It's okay."_  
_"Max? Who's Max?" Lydia's voice enveloped him in sadness. She got up and Brett tried to clutch at her, but his hands found nothing._  
_"Lydia, no, please. Don't leave me!" His voice was younger, higher pitched. He looked at himself in a mirror in the darkness, gasping at the blue dress Lydia always dressed him in. **Your princess, Lydia.** "Lydia?"_  
_"Over here, Brett!" She sounded so happy, and he played with her for what felt like hours. His previous trauma was washed away by the sound of laughter - Lydia's laughter. "My princess." Lydia called over her shoulder. She tripped and started to fall. Brett caught her, and she fell into his lap. "Brett?" He had a knife in his hands. "Brett, please." Lydia cried._  
_"I'm not going to do this. I can't. Lydia..." She guided his hands so that they hovered over her heart._  
_"Do it. Brett, please, I'm hurt." Lydia was still her eight-year-old self, but Brett was twenty, cradling her tiny, bright head against his chest. He tried to stop his hands from embedding the knife in her chest, but he couldn't. As the blood spilt forth from the wound, Brett felt a pain blossom in his own chest. He looked down to see that Stiles had stabbed him._  
_"You know, I really didn't mean to kill you, Brett, but you were just so...infuriating."_

Brett woke, screaming. He felt hands gripping at his shoulders. They were strong hands. He looked up and saw Boyd, sweating with effort. "You alright?" He asked heavily. Brett nodded, and Boyd's hands pulled away from his arms.

Brett sat up and looked at the other occupants of the room. Max was looking at him with wide, sad eyes. Hans was clutching his side, and Brett felt a wave of guilt. "Did I hurt you?"

"Just a little. It's okay. You were thrashing around quite a bit. I'm surprised you didn't hurt anyone else. You turned over suddenly, startling me awake, and then your arm flung out. I'll be fine. It's just a bruise." He knew Hans was trying to make him feel better, but it did nothing. He felt terrible. He held his arms out, and Hans came into them without hesitation.

"I'm sorry." He said, kissing the side of his head.

"It's okay. We all have nightmares."

Brett saw Liam crouch down by his side. "Come talk to me." He moved out into the hall. Brett sighed, ready to tell him about this one.

"Hans, Max, I need to talk to Liam. You'll be safe here with Isaac and the others, right?" They both nodded. Brett got up and went into the hall. "Look, I know you'll-" Brett was cut off when Liam pressed their lips together.

"You called out a lot of names, Brett. Hans first, then Lori, then Max, then me, then Lydia." There was a pause. "You're doing okay, right?"

"Yeah. Listen, Liam. Before I went to sleep, Hans told me something."

Liam looked worried. "What?"

"He called me dad." Liam looked like he wanted to cry. "And...he called you mum." Liam did start crying then. He put his face in his hands.

"Oh my God." He sighed, taking his hands away from his face. "Okay." He nodded. "Okay. Let's...deal with that when we get there. And don't say it's already here, because that's gonna make me have a panic attack, which I might be having anyway because...oh God..." He exhaled heavily and ran his hands through his hair. "Okay. Okay. Mum. Nothing wrong with that. I'm just...someone's mother." He hugged himself, pacing back and forth. He was breathing heavily, obviously not too far off from having a complete breakdown. "Alright. Hans is...oh my God." His eyes snapped up to Brett's. "Brett, a son. Uh, a seven-year-old son. Oh-kay. That is seriously freaking me out." He stopped and caught himself on the wall, white as a sheet. "I'm only seventeen! I'm practically still a kid myself. Oh-kay. Okay. I can deal with this. I can deal with this."

Brett was aware that he should probably be trying to do something, but he had no idea what, exactly, that would be. He felt pretty alright being called 'dad', but Liam was right - he was only seventeen. _Maybe he's not ready for this..._ He reached out to Liam, but he fainted. "Liam?" Liam didn't respond, and Brett frowned. He called out to the others. "Hey, guys, Liam's fainted. I'm gonna get him to the infirmary, okay?"

Max and Hans poked their heads around the frame of the door. They tagged along as Brett carried Liam up to the infirmary. The person on duty fussed over him for a while before turning away; it was only a simple task of waiting it out. He seemed glad to have something to do, though. Liam was put into a spare bed in the corner and Brett got a wet wash cloth to drape over Liam's forehead.

  


"Brett, it's time to go." Brett had stayed up for the remaining hour before going to the hospital, keeping the cool cloth pressed against Liam's forehead. Max and Hans had fallen asleep next to him, pressed into his sides.

"Okay. Just give me a minute." Boyd left Brett to do what he needed. He shook Hans awake. "Hey, I'm going out now, alright? Take care of Liam and Max for me." Hans nodded, and Brett kissed his forehead. He went over and woke Max up. "Hey, Max, I'm going out now. Make sure you take care of Liam and Hans for me, okay?"

"Yeah..." He sounded really tired. "I...have a good day."

Brett smiled and kissed his forehead. "I will. I love you, Max." He looked up at Hans. "I love you, too, Hans. I love you both."

"I love you too." Max hugged Brett and Hans stepped over Liam to squeeze in too. Brett held on tighter than he thought he could, his dream still fresh in his mind. He kissed both of their temples before letting go.

"I'll-" He cleared his throat, now filled with a lump he couldn't swallow. "I'll be back before sundown, okay?"

"Okay." Hans smiled at him brightly, and Brett felt his heart squeeze in his chest. He gave them one last, long look before going out the door. He leaned against the wall, pressing the heel of his palms into his eyes, trying to stop himself from crying. He sobbed once before pulling himself together. He wiped at his face and went downstairs.

  


"Hold up, why is Lori coming with us?" Lori turned to look at Brett.

"It's my turn to go out for the gardeners, Brett. You can't keep me inside forever." Brett looked around at the other party members. He didn't know two of the people there. He asked Lori. "Oh, this is Monique. She works with the children with Alice, Scott and Corey. She was a transfer student from Brazil. Only meant to be staying a year. Guess it didn't quite go as planned...I don't know who the other girl is." Brett went over and introduced himself.

"Oh, you're Liam's boyfriend, aren't you?" Brett nodded. "You were really good singing the other day. Wish I could sing like that. When Liam came down, he sang, and all the kids immediately went to sleep. It was like magic."

 _Like magic?_ "Uh, thanks. He didn't tell me about that..."

"Yeah, he was awesome. Anyway, we're all ready to go, so let's get moving, shall we?"

Brett agreed and fell back next to Lori. He grabbed her hand, which she squeezed. Brett didn't actually expect her to keep holding his hand, but he was glad that she had. He wanted to keep a close eye on her.

  


As the day progressed, Brett found himself getting more and more impressed with the amount of self-control she exhibited. There were still flashes of her usual self, but if her settings had been on '100% Lori mode', she would have been chasing after every movement, talking constantly, annoying everyone and asking questions. _So many questions, even if she knew the answer._ He looked down at Lori, realising for the first time since he'd seen her again how big she actually was now. The last time he'd seen her, she'd been only fourteen. _Two birthdays gone, and I wasn't here..._

He was startled out of his thoughts by Lori's voice. "What?"

He turned to her, eyebrows raised. "What what?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "You know what. Why are you looking at me?"

"You've just...grown so much. You were only fourteen when I last saw you. And you really grew. You're about twice the size! Did someone water you too much?" He said the last bit as a joke, ruffling her hair, because if he didn't, he would probably cry. She shied away from his touch, straightening her hair back into its usual position. She pouted at him, grumbling something about him sounding like their mother, and he laughed at her expression.

They were getting close, so his laughter died away. Hospitals were usually dangerous areas. They all tread a little more lightly. The area looked empty, but that was no real indication of anything. They were all aware of how exposed they were. Brett was steadily getting more and more nervous. Finally, he was wound so tight, he couldn't take it any more.

"Lori, Danny, hang back so that if anything bad happens, you've got our rear. If anything happens, run. Get the others. This feels off - it's too quiet."

Lori looked like she was about to protest, but Boyd shot her a look. He nodded at Brett, showing his appreciation for his actions. Lori and Danny fell back, keeping their eyes peeled for anything.

Only a few more steps in, and everything exploded into chaos - people burst out of the hospital and the surrounding hedges and buildings. Lori and Danny ran back they way they'd come, with only a glance back. The others tried to follow suit, but they were trapped by a wall of people. _Man, there's a lot. Is that where everybody went?_ Brett saw a few people break away from the group, noticing that Lori and Danny were running away. Brett hoped against all odds that none of them had guns.

Just as the thought passed his mind, he heard a shot ring out, and Lori yelp. He hoped that she was okay. He whirled around to find everyone either knocked out or tied up. He felt his mind start to cloud over, going into his 'protective' mode. He felt his fist connect with something, very solidly. He forgot that he even had weapons. Bodies started to crumple under his onslaught.

"Will someone please knock him out already?"

Brett turned to the sound, throwing punches and kicks in that direction too. Grunts and moans filled his ears. The cloud was just passing when Monique screamed. It descended again, dark and heavy. It rained and stormed in his mind, thunder crunching and lightning flashing in time with his blows. It was just passing yet again when Boyd hissed in pain. His mind was getting even darker, and he knew that if another cloud descended, he would pass out from the sheer effort of moving his limbs so quickly and forcefully.

The other people started to notice that it was taking more hits to send someone to the ground, so they came in closer, getting braver. One of them finally managed to hit Brett over the head with enough force to knock him out, and Brett's world descended into total darkness.


End file.
